Catch You
by Findabhiar Aery
Summary: Sequel to 'Complicate You'. Ginny is nearing the end of her 6th Year, and things are changing, not just for her, but for Draco, Blaise, Luna, Padma and George. DracoGinnyBlaise, PadmaGeorge, some slash, explicit sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Miss. Rowling owns everything to do with Harry Potter and friends. Any recognizable plot elements, characters, names, etc., all belong to her. Anything that does not seem recognizable probably belongs to me. I hate putting disclaimers at the beginning of each chapter, so please assume that this applies to the remainder of this story.

Quick Note: This story picks up right from where 'Complicate You' leaves off, and it will not make much sense unless you read that story first. Please don't read, and then review that you have no idea what is going on if you haven't done this. Honestly, go read 'Complicate You'. It's finished, and I enjoyed writing it! -Fin

Chapter 1:

Draco Malfoy was going to cry like a little girl. Ginny grinned, and flexed her thigh muscles around the wooden handle of her broom. His silvery eyes flew to the slight movement that was barely noticeable through the tight leather of her flying pants, before he determinedly brought them up again to capture her own blue gaze.

"Isn't going to work, Gin." Draco yelled over the wind, grinning at her disappointed look. "You're so predictable."

After Christmas Day, Ginny had seemed not be able to stop smiling. Which had really made her mum mad when she had finally decided to make her way back to the Burrow for the remainder of the holidays.

Coming back to Hogwarts had, quite frankly, been a relief after the tension of home after that. The Golden Trio had left on Boxing Day to pursue a lead they had received, but the Burrow had still felt too small, with Molly Weasley on the warpath.

Since then, everything had been going swimmingly. Ginny had never felt so close to anyone, as she felt to Draco and Blaise. It just felt… right. She spent nearly every evening in Blaise's room with them, and she really couldn't bring herself to care about the gossip that had swirled about the three of them in early January.

The Slytherins had been the most supportive, with Ginny now able to count Pansy and Vince among her closest friends, and the Gryffindors had been surprisingly good, which might have had something to do with the fact that she threatened to quit the Quidditch team if she didn't feel that they accepted her relationship with the Slytherins.

Spotting a golden glimmer over by the Slytherin hoops, Ginny abruptly turned her broom, and shot off after it, feeling Draco following her closely. Suddenly, she felt her broom lurch under her, and she came to a complete standstill, watching in shock as a bludger shot through the air where she had been headed.

Ginny looked back to see Draco release her broom, and give her a smirk, "You owe me yet again."

Rolling her eyes, Ginny looked back to see the snitch had disappeared yet again. Floating above the pitch, they could barely hear Luna commentating the match below, her voice echoing over the snowy landscape.

It was a beautiful February day, and the sun was shining brightly despite the bitter cold bite in the air, and Ginny reveled in the brief warmth on her face before the wind stole that away.

Slytherin and Gryffindor were incredibly evenly matched, with the score staying within twenty points of each other. Both seekers would have to be careful not to catch the snitch too soon, or else risk losing the match which had the possibility of changing the rank for the Quidditch cup.

Draco relaxed slightly on his broom, trying to ignore the presence of the small redhead floating ahead of him, her hair escaping from it's confines to lay in sticky curls on her forehead and neck.

Catching sight of the snitch, Draco took off, sensing Ginny right on his tail.

Blaise watched with bated breath from the stands, unsure of whether he really wanted Gryffindor or Slytherin to win. Ah, he didn't really care. He got to see both of them in their leather pants after the match, so it was completely win-win for him.

"Come on Draco!" Pansy screamed, clapping her hands as she spotted Draco heading off to the side of the pitch. Her breath came out in little puffs of smoke from the coldness, and she bundled into the heavy, fur-lined cloak which had been a gift from Vince for Christmas.

The two seekers were about equal in skill, but Draco's faster broom gave him an edge, that was almost matched by Ginny's much smaller stature. They were head to head as they both reached for the small golden snitch, and Draco stretched his fingers out, wanting to win the Quidditch Cup for the first time in years, and the last chance he had to get it.

Ginny was so incredibly intent on the golden glimmer of the snitch, that she didn't notice the bludger that bounced off the end of Greg's bat, and made it's way towards her. This time, Draco was not fast enough.

Watching from below, Blaise stared as the bludger hurtled toward the small red form. She knew it was there, right? No… The ball hit her hard in the side, and she slid from her broom almost in slow motion. Blaise could hear himself yelling, and Pansy screaming as Ginny fell from the incredible height, hitting the ground hard despite the hasty cushioning spell a shocked Madame Hooch was able to throw.

The snitch forgotten, Draco sped towards where Ginny was lying motionless on the ground, her hair spread like blood in the snow. His chest clenched, and he fought his fear to get to Ginny's side as quickly as possible. There was no way he could lose her…

Gryffindor teammates were crowded around her still form when he landed, not bothering to stop before jumping off his broom, uncaring of where it would land without his guidance.

Blaise made his way quickly down the stands, Pansy and Daphne following him closely, running as soon as he hit the ground. He just felt numb, like the coldness was no longer just in the air.

Ginny regained consciousness with a moan of pain, opening her eyes to see Draco's pale face above her, yelling for Madame Pomfrey, "Draco?"

"Gin?" Hearing the pained whisper, Draco's eyes shot to her, needing some sort of reassurance that she was ok.

"I hurt." Ginny could feel tears being squeezed out of the sides of her eyes, "Why does everything hurt?"

Her body felt like it was on fire, and she tried moving, but it was almost impossible. She cried out again, tears running with greater speed down her cheeks. Draco stared down at her, afraid to touch her for fear of making it worse. He had never felt quite so helpless before.

Hearing Blaise's yells, he turned around to see the shorter boy sprinting through the snow, the other Slytherins close on his heels. Draco turned back to Ginny and sank down on his knees, afraid to even take her hand as chaos reigned around where she had fallen. Distantly, he could hear teacher's yelling for order, students yelling, Seamus and Dean were planted firmly on her other side, across from him, and Padma was breathing heavily, pressing herself into his side and shaking.

Blaise stumbled to his knees beside Padma, and she quickly wrapped her arms around him as she saw just how shaken he was.

Madame Pomfrey pushed the Gryffindor team aside to reach Ginny's prone body, and she quickly took order of the situation.

"Blaise?" Ginny asked shrilly, clenching her teeth against the pain. "Draco?" Her hands reached futilely for the two she wanted, and they kept pace as Madame Pomfrey levitated her body up into the air and into the school.

"We're here Ginny." Blaise drew a deep breath, trying to calm himself, "We won't leave you kitten."

He had spoken the exact words she had wanted to hear, and with a sigh, Ginny lost consciousness again.

Ginny woke up what seemed like a moment later as Pinch was trying to force a potion down her throat. Sputtering, the liquid dribbling down her chin, Ginny shook her head violently, not understanding what was going on in her befuddled state.

"For heaven's sake, child, I need to mend your ribs!" The healer was in a foul mood, having had to spend the better part of an hour, when she should have been taking care of her patient, trying to keep Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy out of her hospital wing. Honestly, the fuss that those two had made.

Her frown pulled tighter as she surveyed the still all-to-pale Miss. Weasley, whose side was turning a rather nasty shade of purple, mixed in with a violent red where the bludger had hit.

"It hurts…" Ginny moaned, regaining full awareness, and closing her eyes to try to keep the pain at bay. "Where's Draco and Blaise?"

"Well, of course it does." Madame Pomfrey spoke in clipped tones, scurrying around the area to put together all that she needed. "You have two broken ribs, which can't be good for the baby, and you have severely bruised your back, along with a mild concussion. And your two friends, well, they were making way too much of a disturbance to stay with you. I'm sure they'll be back tomorrow morning."

She paused to pour the potion down Ginny's throat before she could react, holding her head up with one arm to do so, "I've told Professor McGonagall many times that this barbaric sport is much too dangerous for students, but she listens to me as much as Professor Dumbledore, Gods keep him."

Ginny listened faintly to Pomfrey muttering about Quidditch while she could feel the potions going to work, her side relaxing and the throbbing pain dulling to something that was slightly less painful.

"And you, Miss. Weasley, you are entirely too skinny. I noticed as soon as I got you into the hospital gown. Didn't your family healer tell you about how important it was to eat properly for both you and the babe? Honestly, these new healers… they just don't have any respect for the old ways. Spells and potions take care of most things, but a bit of preventative measures go a long way, I always say."

"What?" Confused, Ginny made to sit up, only to have an enraged Madame Pomfrey come flying at her in a swirl of dark robes.

"What do you think you are doing? Lay back!" Ginny did as bided, in all truth, scared to do anything else. She had always thought that Hogwarts' resident healer was a bit off her trolley, and her unprovoked anger, and muttering to herself seemed to confirm this.

"Now, where was I? Oh, you students are much too headstrong. You're going to be a mother, and yet you still throw yourself into a Quidditch match, as a seeker no less, throwing your too skinny body onto a broom! Unheard of in my day!"

"I'm not going to be a mother." Ginny closed her eyes in exasperation. The woman was now starting to sound like her mother on one of her 'family' rants. It was almost too much to bear, feeling so incredibly awful, her head and side pounding, and being yelled at by a deranged healer.

"What?" It was Poppy's turn to ask the blunt question, her whole demeanor that of shock, "Did you not know, girl?"

"I'm not pregnant." Ginny spoke firmly, though she was starting to feel a degree of doubt in the face of Pomfrey's absolute belief in what she spoke. It was impossible though. They had always been safe…

"You are." Madame Pomfrey put a hand to her forehead, "I can't believe… You're at least two months along. From what I could tell when I did my initial inspection of you, you are due at the end of September, if not earlier. You conceived sometime toward the end of December, to January."

"That's quite impossible…" Ginny felt faint, and thought furiously to when she had had her last monthly, and gasped when she couldn't remember the last time. It must have been before the Christmas holidays…

"It's very possible." Madame Pomfrey pulled up a chair, sitting down beside her charge and taking hold of her hand in a matronly manner, resisting Ginny's attempts to pull away, "My dear, you do know who the father is? You are quite young. Why, you're just a sixth year, aren't you?"

Ginny nodded mutely, completely unsure of what to say or how to react.

They sat together in silence for a moment, Pomfrey unsure of what to say to the young lady, "Would you like to know your options?"

Swallowing against the lump that had somehow formed in her throat, Ginny nodded again, "Please."

"You can go through with the pregnancy and keep the child, which is a course I recommend, and of course take no further risks with your health. You can have the baby, and give it up for adoption to a good family, and again, no more risks." Poppy paused, taking in the pallor of Ginny Weasley, and her heart went out for the girl, "Or you can terminate the pregnancy, which you will have to do through St. Mungo's. I don't fully endorse this last course of action, but it is entirely up for you to decide."

"What about school?" Ginny winced at the inane question that just happened to be the first thing she thought of.

"Well, you wouldn't be very well able to attend classes for the full term of your pregnancy, and having a newborn wouldn't be conducive to your studies either." Pomfrey thought hard, "The last girl I met in your situation left school, and finished by correspondence courses a few years later when the babe was older."

"Oh." Ginny nodded, her mind spinning. She was way too young… Draco and Blaise were way too young… She didn't even know if she wanted children… She wanted to finish school, wanted to have a career. Her mother had gotten pregnant right out of school, and that had basically been the end of her own dreams. Did Ginny want that for herself?

"I would that you stay in the hospital wing this eve, but that you speak to the father as soon as possible. We will also have to speak to Professor McGonagall no matter what, and I will make an appointment for next week to give you some time." Madame Pomfrey patted Ginny's hand, before dropping it, and getting to her feet, "Call for me if you need anything tonight."

--

Padma curled into George's side on the couch that was placed in front of the roaring fire in her room, her thoughts on Ginny who was still ensconced in the hospital wing.

"Don't worry Padma…" George leaned down to kiss the top of her silky dark hair, "I'd know if anything was seriously wrong, she'll be fine."

He hugged her even tighter, feeling her relax slightly against him. She had floo'd him the moment she had gotten back to her room, and he couldn't help but feel that was a good sign.

They had been dating for almost two months, and he hated feeling so unsure. It was just so damned hard to read her, to understand what she was thinking, and why. Padma was so wryly sarcastic, and rarely let her mask down. It was enough to drive a man quite insane, but George was just too damned stubborn to let her push him away, however unintentional.

Padma watched the fire, feeling mesmerized by the flames, the image of Ginny getting hit and falling playing in her mind over and over. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Blaise and Draco were doing, and resolved to find them the next day to lend her support in any way possible.

Pushing away from George, she sat up to stretch her shoulders, "Do you have to get back to the shop anytime soon?"

"No." He watched her, taking note of how her casual jumper pulled across her shapely chest as she held her arms up, "Mara and Fred are at Diagon today, and Liam is handling Hogsmeade. I'm all yours."

She smiled lightly at his lecherous expression, allowing him to pull her down onto his lap, his arms hold her tightly. Padma leaned back against him, feeling his slender, but strong frame surrounding her. Reaching one hand up, she pulled the leather thong out of his hair in a familiar move, running her fingers through the shoulder-length tendrils, feeling the silky texture.

George closed his eyes, feeling her fingers move against his skull. He loved when she was in this kind of mood, this mood where it felt like she almost could love him, as if she was already there. He sighed.

Padma tugged on a bright red lock, watching as his eyes flew open, their cinnamon depths glowing in the firelight. She tugged again, pulling his head down to her, and she brushed a kiss across his thin lips. He allowed her to have her way for a moment, before taking over, his lips softening to fully taste her, his tongue finding it's way into her mouth as her lips parted on a sigh.

Groaning as she shifted on his lap, George secured a hand in her flowing brown hair, anchoring her head exactly where he wanted her, languidly exploring the depths of her mouth and lips, sucking her lower lip between his teeth.

Padma reveled in his touch, in his kiss. She loved how George kissed, had never expected for him to be so thorough, so gentle. It had really come as a shock, and it was still slightly surprising every time, which she liked.

Moaning into his mouth, she shifted closer, but stilled as his hand found the bottom of her jumper, and slid under to meet bare skin. She reached down to grab his wrist, pulling away from his mouth as she did so, and shook her head at him.

George sighed. It was definitely taking some getting used to, to be able to stop and not do exactly what he wanted to her beautiful body. He had never been celibate for this long since he and Angelina had dated when they were fifteen, and it was definitely a new, and not entirely good experience.

He leaned his forehead against hers', and accepted her conciliatory kiss that she bestowed every time she put a stop to anything further.

Padma sighed, spotting the brief disappointment flit across his features. It wasn't that he ever really said anything about it, but she still felt a little guilty. In fact, if she was really truthful, it was because he was so damned good about it that she felt guilty.

They had had a couple of discussions about furthering the physical aspect of their relationship, but she had always felt rather strongly about sex meaning so much more than a sating of desire, and she really wanted to be sure.

Padma wasn't quite sure if he realized, if he had picked up all of her signals, that she had never actually had that before. Then again, she had never really had any sort of romantic relationship before. In a lot of ways, George was definitely a first. She just didn't tell him that, because Padma believed strongly in not inflating his ego any more than it already was.

A/N: Hi Again!! I hope everyone enjoys the beginning of 'Catch You'. I'm wondering if anyone caught the mistake that Blaise, Ginny, and Draco made in the last chapter of 'Complicate You' yet… I decided to start this story off with a bit of a bang, and make Ginny's chat with Pinch as realistic as possible, even though I've never been pregnant.

Yeah, I'm not making it easy for George and Padma… they have a long way to go, and Fred and Mara will play into their relationship as well. Luna is heavily featured in this story, as is Harry… but probably not for a few chapters.

Anyway, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!! I have this story planned out, but I always appreciate new ideas, and insights. Also, Seravenia mentioned (in your review for the end of 'Complicate You') how alike the tattoo idea was to the Dark Mark in 'Complicate You', and I honestly had never thought of it like that, but that will definitely come into play in this story now, because I LOVED that observation!!!!

Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Charlie Weasley grimaced as Emily Arins rubbed the healing salve over his newest burn which had made a large red welt appear on his already heavily-scarred forearm.

"Aren't you supposed to be a big, tough, dragon keeper?" She teased him lightly, catching his expression as she looked up into his bright blue eyes.

Sticking his tongue out at her momentarily, Charlie grinned before answering, "Usually. But I'm trying to provoke just an ounce of sympathy from you here."

"Won't work." She had lived and worked around these guys since leaving St. Mungo's School for Healers almost ten years prior, not much surprised her anymore.

Charlie looked around the hospital ward, taking in the odd potions that lined the walls, some sparkling strangely in the mid-afternoon sunlight. As with all of his co-workers, he seemed to spend half his time on the field, and in the dragon keep, and the other half right here on one of the five beds that were set up.

Romania typically had a cooler climate than even England, but in this valley, the dragon's body heat could be felt for miles, and it was very difficult for the dragon keepers to wear their protective gear, especially during high sun when the air seemed to simmer, even in winter. Charlie looked ruefully at his arm, where a protective leather pad had been strapped just an hour before.

"I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times…" Again, Emily seemed to be able to read his mind, "Wear the bloody pads, and you won't be in here as much."

"Maybe I just like seeing your beautiful face." Charlie shot back with an easy familiarity. Emily made to step away to grab a clean bandage to bind the wound, when his large, callused hands shot out and grabbed her hips, drawing her between his legs.

"Charlie…" She warned in a low voice, hazel eyes darting around for Healer Riley, her supervisor. "You know I'm not allowed to…"

"I know." He grinned again, pulling her even closer to his stockily-muscled body. Her hands shot up to brace against his chest, and she closed her eyes at the feeling of the firm muscles flexing against her fingers. "I can't wait though…"

Leaning forward, Charlie kissed the side of her pale neck, exposed by her uniform, drawing the skin there between his teeth as he heard her sigh in pleasure. Her small hands shot out to clamp on his skull, feeling his coarse, short hair brush against her skin.

Charlie lazily ran his hands up her torso, feeling her shape through the lightweight Healer's uniform, until her reached her full breasts. Cupping them gently, he ignored the brief groan of protest that she gave, and focused on massaged them to his heart's content. Feeling her large nipples peaking beneath the material, he drew back to grin at her again, chuckling deeply as he took in her flushed face, the way her light brown hair was pulling free from it's confines to settle in damp curls against her skin.

Emily took a shuddering breath, and stepped away, sighing in both relief, and disappointment when Charlie's strong hands fell away without a fight. "Charlie…"

"I know. Bad me." He looked up at her through bright golden-red eyelashes contritely, "You can spank me tonight if you wish."

Laughing, she hit him lightly in the shoulder before grabbing that bandage that he had thwarted her from wrapping around his arm earlier.

They had been dating for about a year, and had finally moved in together almost a month prior. Charlie loved working on the reserve, and he loved being with someone who was as passionate about this place as he was, though it would take another year or so before he would expose her to his family, most importantly his mother.

"Ok, you're done." Emily shooed him out, even as he tried to grab her again for one last kiss.

"You won't even kiss me goodbye?" He pouted, his bottom lip almost too full against his much smaller upper, and she laughed again at his antics. "No! Get out! You won't distract me again. Remind Keiran that he has a checkup in another hour."

"Aye aye." Charlie saluted smartly and turned on his heel to make his way to the dragon keep where his partner Keiran Delch was holding down the fort with the new horntail that they had acquired after a Ministry of Magic raid on an illegal breeder the month before.

Relaying the message, Charlie looked into the large pen where the dragon, whom they had tentatively named Hubert, was curled up, and seemingly asleep. It was not incentive to get any closer though, this particular dragon was found of pretending slumber, and then attacking any keeper who let their guard down.

Keiran and Charlie both had the scars to prove it.

"Can't believe you got nicked by Talia, Charlie." Keiran called out as he walked down the long aisle to check on a very young dragon that had been born the week before.

Charlie's lip curled slightly, and he watched Hubert, trying to ignore his partner, whom he was not entirely fond of. The Director matched the keepers up into partners based on experience, and an affinity for certain dragons, and Charlie generally ended up with partners that he got on well with.

Not in Keiran's case, however. There was just something about the younger man that got under Charlie's skin, and Charlie was somewhat shocked by this, as he generally was able to make friends with anyone. Because of that feeling, he tried to simply stay away from his partner as much as possible considering that they spent nearly every day in each other's company, and their small cottages were side-by-side.

Pushing his thoughts away from his partner who had never done anything to earn his dislike, Charlie smiled slightly as he caught Hubert open one eye to glance around, only to snap it closed again when he realized he was not quite alone. Gotcha, Charlie thought humorlessly.

Hubert was quite small for his breed, standing only about twenty-five meters from the ground, but then Charlie estimated his age to only be a year. He had not yet gained the ability to convey thoughts telepathically, and he had a brutal temper due in large part to the abuse and training that he had received from the breeder.

While not the most difficult dragon Charlie had ever worked with, he was definitely not the easiest by any stretch of the imagination.

An endangered species, the dragons had been hunted by wizards, and to a lesser extent, muggles in the middle ages, and had thus developed a deep distrust and weariness of all humans.

Part of Charlie's job was to familiarize them with non-aggressive humans, and make it possible for them to leave around the world again without the violence that had so defined them in the centuries after they were hunted.

A few things made this job difficult. The reason the dragons had been hunted in the first place was still an ever-lurking fear: greed. Their scales, as well as their breath, while heavily controlled by Ministry regulations in the last one hundred years, were worth more than almost anything on the black market.

Used in some very strong potions, as well as some Dark Arts, scales were highly prized, as well as for jewellery, whereas dragon's breath was generally used as a weapon. A highly effective weapon.

Charlie had only ever had one run-in with poachers coming into the reserve, but once was more than enough. His eyes hardened at the memory of what those soulless men were determined to do in order to take hold of their prey. While he had not used the killing curse, he had definitely felt the urge for the first time in his life. He felt an incredible affinity for the graceful creatures, and thus made his life's work their continued survival.

Watching Hubert intently now, Charlie took in his silvery-grey scales which reflected the sunlight, making him almost sparkle, the tips glowing pink at the moment, probably due to his irritation at Charlie watching him. Hubert had been trying to escape from the reserve since he had arrived, and he was intelligent enough to make it happen if he had been a less experienced dragon keeper, and he knew it.

Charlie smirked as the pink turned into a smarting red, Hubert was not happy and it was amusing after all of the difficulties the young dragon had put him through. He waved at the giant reptile with a flutter of his fingers and left to see how his other dragons were doing.

Talia was a bright turquoise colour, and to Charlie's fanciful eye, she looked like how the waters of the Caribbean would be. Her black eyes conveyed gentle intelligence as she watched Charlie approach, bypassing the wards of her home with a practiced flick of his wand.

_Charlie Weasley, I can always see your hair before I actually see you…_She mused as he got within her range, her mind gentle as it touched his, _I grow weary of being 'kept'_.

He grinned up at her, checking to make sure she had sufficient grains and water. Contrary to popular belief, dragons were generally vegetarian, and those who did eat meat, did not enjoy the human body, as they were, to quote an old dragon Charlie had once known, 'just full of bones'.

_I'm sorry Talia. You deserve to have your run of the forest, to have your hatchlings, but alas, my hands are tied by bureaucratic nonsense_, he responded, properly contrite. She nodded a regal head in recognition. Charlie was popular with the dragons, it was always felt he was tough, but incredibly fair, and always will to help them in any way possible.

Talia had been brought to Charlie as a hatchling, barely larger than his torso, almost five years prior, sent by the Chinese Ministry of Magic who had found her in magical animals store in the back streets of Hong Kong, her mother had been killed for her scales which were circulating the black market for magic-repellant armour, not thought to be high enough quality to be used in potions.

Missing her mother horribly, Talia had become almost a child to Charlie, and he had raised her to the almost-grown dragon she was now. She had only been able to convey her thoughts and feelings for a year, and found Charlie a warm recipient to anything she wished to say.

_How is that new dragon? He refuses to speak with me._ She asked him now, somewhat perturbed by the unhappy new inhabitant in the neighbouring pen.

Charlie thought for a moment, turning to sit on the grass just feet away from her large silver talons, and he regarded her carefully. _He has had a difficult time of it, and he is still too much of a youngling to converse his thoughts. It must be very frustrating for him._

_You are too patient with him. He needs a much firmer hand. _Talia spoke firmly, mildly upset on his behalf.

_As you did?_ He grinned back at her, and she pushed her amusement at his comment into his mind with force. Charlie winced at the strength of the thought, cautioning her to be careful. She inclined her large head slightly in acknowledgement.

_Anyway, he could talk to me if he liked. He's only too young to talk to humans. _

Charlie started, not having realized that Hubert was old enough for that, _Are you sure?_ Again, the sound of husky laughter filled his head, and he laughed along. _Sorry. I shall bow to your superior knowledge in this case._

_I wonder though, if he can talk to you, or if he simply chooses not to. _Charlie mused to himself, looking at Talia speculatively.

_I honestly wouldn't know._ She looked away, well aware of the direction his mind had taken. _Don't even think about it Charlie._

_Please?_ He decided to play his trump card in order to get some sort of insight into the problematic dragon, _if you do, I'll forgive you for torching my arm._

Talia's head snapped around, smoke curling out of her nostrils dangerously, _That was an accident, as you well know! How dare you?_

Charlie stared at her impassively, not saying anything to her outburst. Talia sighed, a small flare of fire shooting from the corner of her large mouth, her teeth glinting dangerously, _Fine. But then we are even. No more favours for you._

_Agreed_.

Charlie was still smiling over his triumph when he made his way back to the small cottage that he shared with Emily later that evening. A charming little abode, the cottage included a fully functioning kitchen, a bedroom, and a small study where he kept all of the paperwork pertaining to his dragons.

Making his way through the small space, Charlie called out for Emily, frowning when he realized she wasn't home yet. It was unusual that he beat her home, but not unheard of.

Shrugging his wide shoulders, he made his way to the study to update his files on Hubert and Talia, making sure he followed the full bureaucratic process laid down by his supervisor, and also read the new reports on how one of his old charges, Cara, was doing in her new habitat in North America.

Ten minutes in, Charlie sighed, realizing his eyes were smarting from the small, cramped script of the habitat director, and he gave in, pushing his small, dark-framed glasses onto his nose. Feeling a tiny bit silly, and every bit his twenty-five years, Charlie turned back to the report.

Feeling hunger pains a long while later, Charlie made his way to the small kitchen, checking the icebox for the leftovers of the pot roast he and Emily had had for dinner the evening before.

Idly checking the clock as he pointed his wand at the plate he had arranged his supper on to cast a warming spell, he realized how late it really was, and that Emily was still not home. He frowned, slightly concerned, and made the decision to go down to the hospital ward if she hadn't made her way home by the time he was finished eating.

Emily walked through the door halfway through his meal, her cheeks flushed from the chill that fell over the reserve late at night, even with the concentration of dragons.

"Hey you, I was just getting worried." He remarked, and frowned slightly as she jumped in surprise at seeing him sitting at the table.

"Oh, you frightened me." Emily smiled at him, and walked over to kiss his cheek before pointing her own wand at a glass, filling it rapidly with water, "I had to finish some paperwork, that just couldn't wait until tomorrow, and then my quill exploded. It was a mess. Because of that, I had to completely clean my desk, and it took at least three banishing spells. God, what a horrible evening."

Charlie's pale eyebrows rose as she managed to say that much without taking a breath, "I'm sorry darlin'. There's some pot roast left in the fridge if you're hungry."

"I had something already, but thanks." She grinned at him brightly, before making her way to their bedroom to change out of her uniform. Charlie frowned, thinking there was something strange about that entire exchange.

Shrugging off his ill-feeling, Charlie headed back to his study to write his weekly letters to Ginny and the twins.

--

Ginny stared in the mirror at her pale features, noting the slight shadows under her too-bright eyes. She had no idea what to do, and felt so incredibly alone.

Blaise and Draco had retrieved her from the hospital earlier in the afternoon, asking her questions about how she was feeling after her fall, and she could honestly not remember the rest of the conversation.

She had been the recipient of more than a few strange looks from both of them because of the fact that she had closed herself off from them so strongly, but neither had said anything. Yet. Ginny knew that she had limited time until they started the interrogations, and she needed to decide a few things before that happened.

What was she going to do? Her hand slid to her still-flat stomache, and she felt her insides clench at the idea that there was a baby growing in there.

She had no idea how Blaise and Draco were going to react, and she honestly had no idea which one of them was the father. On further reflection, however, she found that she really didn't care about that.

She wasn't married to either of them, and though they loved each other, they had not really talked about the future in anything but the vaguest sense of the word.

Ginny also thought about the fact that she wasn't finished school, and in all likelihood, would have her schooling completely interrupted by the arrival of a child. What would that mean for a career of her own? Of her independence? She had fought so hard for that after what had happened in her first year with Tom Riddle, was she really ready to give that up?

Her slender fingers clenched the edge of the porcelain sink, and she leaned forward for her forehead to touch the reflective surface of the mirror. Staring intently into her own eyes, she realized she was no closer to answers than when she had started, and she could feel a headache breaking at the back of her skull, made possible either from the concussion, or from her stress over her present condition.

Ginny had always assumed that she would leave school, decide on a career, spend a bit of time traveling, get married, and then have children. Was she to do everything backward? Or would she have to give up more than her dreams because of this? That thought was staggeringly, and a lone tear rolled down her pale cheek.

No matter what, she had to tell Blaise and Draco, but that thought scared her more than anything. She knew why… they were both so incredibly sure of themselves, and she was worried that they would influence her thoughts on the matter before she was even sure about what she thought about it all.

Sighing, she pulled back from the sink, and picked up her wand from the tiled surface to cast a few quick glamours. Recognizing her reflection a little bit more, she tried an experimental smile. A little tremulous, but hopefully it would pass muster.

She smoothed her kilt over her hips, and made her way into Blaise's bedroom, where her two favourite Slytherins were sitting at his large desk, working on some of the incredible amount of schoolwork that came with the impending threats of their N.E.W.T.s. Her breath caught as she realized that was yet another thing she wouldn't really be able to do with a newborn.

"Hey guys." Draco waved at her over his head, not looking up from his Potions essay, whereas Blaise looked up at her with a ready smile, "Hey kitten. You look tired, why don't you take a nap?"

Ginny smiled back, shaking her head so her bright hair swirled around her slight shoulders, "Yeah, maybe. I think I might go back to my room tonight."

At that, Draco finally looked up, fixing her with intent silver eyes, and Blaise frowned slightly before asking, "Why? What's wrong?"

Sighing, Ginny rolled her eyes, "You two are arsedeep in schoolwork. I want to sleep… Plus, my head's kind of pounding."

"Give me five minutes, and I'll walk you up." Draco watched her for another moment, concern flooding his usually expressionless features, making Ginny feel even guiltier that she was keeping something this huge from them.

Blaise got up to pull her into a big hug, "If you stay here, I'll play nursemaid."

Laughing reluctantly at the idea, Ginny pushed him away playfully to collect her bag, "You can practice on Draco. I'm sure he'd love that."

Ensconced in her bed after ignoring her roommates shocked looks at her surprise appearance for the first time in… well… months, Ginny stared up at the canopy and was unable to think about anything else but the new life growing within her.

The idea was just so incredibly foreign to her. She couldn't seem to wrap her mind around it.

Ginny flopped over onto her side, facing the closed curtain, and again placed her hand on the slight swell of her belly caused by lying in such a way. The fanciful notion that that was what a baby swelling her body would feel like floated through her mind, before she violently shoved herself back into her original sleeping position.

Thinking of something… anything else… anything that was not controversial to her overworked mind became her overwhelming priority. Ginny thought about school.

For some reason, Luna Lovegood had been searching her out more and more in their shared classes, in her own dreamy way. Not altogether upset at the idea of a friend in her own year, Ginny had more than welcomed her, and found a sly, witty conversationalist if you ignored her Quibbler nonsense.

She was also surprisingly adept at Potions, and Charms, and Ginny found that her grades had risen in both classes to an astonishing degree upon her closer association with Loony Lovegood.

Ginny was somewhat surprised also at how easy and stress free her sixth year was in comparison to the year before, with the O.W.L.s over. It was almost like a year in limbo before the stress of the seventh year began.

Padma. Ginny frowned as she thought about her good friend. She hadn't really seen the other girl since the beginning of school after the break. It was almost like she was avoiding her, and Ginny couldn't really figure out why.

They had had no fight, no confrontation… Padma had seemed fine before the break. Ginny made a decision to corner Padma before the end of the week in order to find out what the hell was going on, why she was mad at her.

Across the school, Padma lay in her own bed, staring at George who was asleep across her couch, his long legs hanging off the side. He had taken to sleeping over whenever possible, and would always head for the couch before Padma could even ask him to.

She was starting to wonder if maybe he was just too respectful. Hating that she was being so uncharacteristically self-conscious, Padma wondered if he had acted like this with any of his previous girls, who she found she was jealous of. The idea of his long, slender body entwined with some other 'slut'… she clenched her teeth at that thought, before pushing herself to relax.

George sighed in his sleep, and his arms stretched over his head in a lazy gesture, his t-shirt slipping up to expose the muscles of his abdomen. Padma's mouth went dry at the sight, and she resolutely turned onto her back, trying not to think about the temptation of George Weasley not even two meters away.

Rubbing her hand over her face, Padma realized that she wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon, and she pulled her History of Magic textbook off her bedside table, along with her wand, and with a quiet _Lumos_, she started reading ahead of what they were currently studying. At least sexual frustration had the added bonus of helping her with her schoolwork, she thought resentfully.

--

Ginny liberally sprinkled her porridge with brown sugar and honey, listening to Lavender describe her crush on a younger Hufflepuff absentmindedly, as Dean sat down beside her with a light shove to get her to move over slightly to give him more room.

"Hey, don't you remember the injury?" Ginny complained lightly as she moved her bowl over, "All on your behalf, in pursuit of a Quidditch win just for you."

Dean laughed at her antics, and poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice, "I call bullshit. Are you coming to practice tonight, or did Pomfrey not give you the go-ahead yet?"

Ginny stared at her breakfast, feeling her stomache jolt, "Well, actually, I won't be able to play for the rest of the week, at least. I had a mild concussion."

"Ah," Dean nodded knowledgeably, not noticing her hesitation, "I totally understand. I took a bludger to the ankle in second year, and it hurt like a bitch. Let me know when you're back up and going, and we'll go out and play just the two of us to catch you up."

"Thanks Dean." She grinned at him, and then noticed how the table seemed to still, even Lavender pausing in her description of a 'body that would be the envy of the gods'. Ginny sighed. Only one thing had that sort of affect at the Gryffindor table…

"Hey kitten." Blaise placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down to kiss her forehead, Draco lounging indolently a couple of steps behind him.

Ginny found it somewhat amusing that the two Slytherins still had this kind of affect on her classmates after all this time, but soon enough, the table was back to normal as she got up to head over to the Slytherin table with Blaise and Draco.

Pansy watched Ginny sit down between the two boys with a critical eye. She looked pale, and astonishingly still when compared to her normal frenetic energy. Pansy was absolutely shocked that neither Blaise nor Draco seemed to have noticed anything wrong. On second thought, though, it would not be completely out of the two boys' nature to wait for Ginny to say something first… Maybe she was still sore from the Quidditch fall.

Shaking her head of her thoughts, Pansy concentrated on her eggs, smiling over at Vince who was discussing beater techniques with Greg, while trying to eat as much of his breakfast, and hers', as possible. She smacked his hand as he reached over for more of her roast potatoes, and he turned to grin at her unabashed.

"Stop that, you have your own." Pansy tried to glare at her boyfriend, she really did. It didn't quite work out as well as she had hoped as she paused briefly to lean over and kiss his chin.

Ginny seriously felt like she was going through the motions. Laughing when appropriate, teasing Draco, pushing Blaise away, sparring with Pansy, shielding her plate from Greg, complimenting Daphne on her hair… It felt so mechanical, but no one said anything, no one looked at her oddly… She must have been doing something right. Everything felt so incredibly wrong though.

Blaise caught Draco's eye over Ginny's red head, and arched an eyebrow in her direction. Draco nodded. He had noticed. Something was very off about her, and he couldn't push it aside as a byproduct from her injury, like he had the night before.

Theo stabbed his bacon with force, watching the exchange. He still couldn't help but hope for some discord. Draco and Blaise together were too great a force to be reckoned, as Vince had pointed out all too logically, damn him, but apart… Well, Theo had just not given up on it. The Weasley girl was nothing more than a blood traitor from all that he could see, and it made his blood boil that she was even sitting at the Slytherin table.

Draco reached forward, and in an uncharacteristic gesture, caught Ginny's small hand with one of his, squeezing lightly when she looked up at him in surprise. He smirked at her lightly, before letting go to take another bite of his ham. She would tell him soon enough, he was sure of it.

A/N: A very big thank you to AirmidM and tkmoore for their offerings of their expertise, I bow to their superior knowledge… and thank you to all who reviewed!!! I loved reading what everyone thought… Yeah, I wandered dangerously into cliché waters with the pregnancy, but hopefully this chapter brings it back down to earth a bit.

Please read, enjoy, and let me know what you think. Yeah, I still love the smut (which there has been an astonishing lack of, huh), and that should make a re-appearance next chapter… hahahah, plus I have been challenged by Airmid and JulieMalfoyZabini to write a one-shot, and I should have that up this weekend if anyone reading this is interested.

p.s. I edited and changed the first chapter to reflect Madame Pomfrey's proper name instead of Madame Pinch. SO SORRY!!! I can't believe so many of you caught that! I have no idea what I was thinking. Again, my apologies.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Ginny twirled her quill between her fingers absentmindedly a few days later as she tried to concentrate on what exactly Professor Binns was lecturing about. Honestly, if she had to study Grindelwald again, someone was going to get smacked…

The classroom was hot, and stuffy… And Binns was speaking in his usual low, monotone. Ginny glanced around at the mixed Gryffindor and Ravenclaw class, spotting Luna scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment. Stifling a yawn, Ginny checked the large clock at the front of the room. She sighed, there was still the better part of an hour left in the class before they could leave for the infinitely more interesting Potions double class.

Putting her quill down before she did it serious damage, Ginny settled for playing with a tendril of her long hair which had come free from her loose plait that snaked it's way down her back. Idly, she wondered what she would look like with shorter hair. Her mother had never really allowed her to cut it, but it felt heavy against her neck at that moment.

Knowing that she was stalling, thinking about anything but the impending meeting with McGonagall that Pomfrey had set up for that day after classes, Ginny forced herself to pay attention to Binns. She did, however, sigh a loud hiss of breath in relief as she left the class forty-five minutes later.

Colin Creevey, whom before their sixth year she had never been particularly close, despite his seeming crush on Harry, happened to be walking in front of her, and he turned to grin. "That was a brutal one, hmm?"

"Gods, I wanted to jump up and kill him again." Ginny grinned at him, warming to his easy smile, realizing with something akin to shock that Colin had certainly grown into his always promising baby-cuteness. They had become close since the end of the Christmas holidays when Padma had seemed to pull away from Ginny so completely.

"Tell me about it." He commiserated, falling into step with her as they made their way to the dungeons, "I really don't think I'll be taking History of Magic next year, and I'm still trying to figure out why I took it this year. I only got a mediocre O.W.L. in it."

"Me too." Ginny grinned at him, "Have you decided what you want to do after Hogwarts?"

"Well, I would like to be a Healer," Colin smiled at her look of surprise, "But I don't think I have it in me to stay in school for that long, or to work that hard for it, or the brains."

Ginny blinked at the frankness of that admission, "So you don't think you have the drive for it?"

"Nah." He shook his head, "I'm also looking at Muggle Relations. I mean, I am muggleborn, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch. And Circe, I have the sense of humour to deal with the crap."

They walked slowly, feeling incredibly at ease with one another, talking easily. Ginny was frankly astonished that beneath the Harry Potter fanaticism of the past, a really nice, and sweet guy lurked.

She told him about her utter confusion concerning her future, and he understood in a way that Draco and Blaise were unable to.

Draco and Blaise were in similar situations concerning their future, with Malfoy Enterprises, and Zabini Incorporated waiting under the incredibly skilled fingers of board members for their respective CEO's and owners to leave school and take over. They had both been groomed for the jobs since birth, and with their fathers deaths, the companies had become even more prosperous.

Neither of them had ever spoken of bitterness that their futures were mapped out to such a degree to Ginny, and she had to admire just how much care they each put into the companies that provided so many jobs to the wizarding community.

They had each also mentioned various positions within said companies that she might be interested in, from time to time, but Ginny had balked at the idea of working for either of her lovers, not matter how remotely. Her sense of independence was entirely too strong for that. Her mind wandered over to her pregnancy, and her mood soured slightly. She had even fewer options now if she did have the baby… and that scared her like nothing else.

Colin watched Ginny from the corner of his eyes, noticing that she was frowning again. He had been observing her for the last couple of days, noticing just how down-trodden she seemed, how upset, and he was astonished that no one had said anything, and that her Slytherins had not seemed to have noticed. It was no mistake that they had started talking… he had been looking for an opening for awhile now.

"Your face can get stuck like that you know." He remarked conversationally, "Trust me. You've seen my brother, right? Yeah, frowned a lot when he was a baby. Ugly fucker."

Laughing in an astonished manner, Ginny jumped lightly over the tricky step, landing on the hard stone with a slight jar, making her clutch at her flat abdomen in sheer reflex, fear ripping through her. The baby… She had never been this worried about anything else, and that thought made her tense, and glance quickly to see if the guy beside her had noticed anything remiss. Colin had noticed, and raised a golden-brown eyebrow at her.

"You know, my mum had my baby sister a couple of years ago," He spoke quietly, watching her carefully as she blushed, and hurriedly stuck her hands into her pockets, looking away, "And I remember that she would touch her belly, stroke it, even whisper to it, nutter that she is, at the smallest provocation. She was also moody, and pale… and quite sickly-looking for about two months."

"Fascinating." Ginny could hear her heart beating in her ears, and she swallowed thickly at the sudden rise of moisture at the back of her eyes. She stared down at her maryjanes, trying to get a hold of her suddenly ricocheting emotions.

"Ginny," Colin started, and shook his head as if deciding something, "I'm not going to pry, and I definitely won't say anything to anyone, but if you ever need to talk, I am around. I mean, I am good for more than bitching about Binns."

She looked up, seeing how soft his big brown eyes were, and nodded, "Thanks Colin, that does mean a lot."

"Anyway," He shifted the subject, sensing just how uncomfortable she was talking to him in this way, "You need to give me a few clues about Lavender. I've been after her for months, and I really don't think she's noticed. If I wasn't so thick-headed, I would have definitely given up by now."

Ginny laughed, feeling lighter than she had since that fateful meeting with Pomfrey, "You've got your work cut out for you."

"Don't I know it."

Padma shoved the remainder of her notes into her leather satchel, and left Advanced Potions, noticing that Draco, Blaise and Pansy had long since vacated the drafty classroom. Generally, she tried to stick around to chat with them, but it seemed like they had more sense than to stay in one of the coldest parts of the castle when they didn't have to.

McGonagall, at the beginning of the year, had forced Slughorn to move his comfortable classroom back to the dungeons, fearing for other student's safety, and despite his best efforts, it still rang with a cold that had most of his students casting hasty warming spells throughout the lessons.

Wandering into the hallway, she noticed the sixth year students milling around, waiting for Slughorn to admit them for their class, and spotted Ginny's bright head amongst them.

Padma sighed. It was too… weird to talk to Ginny at the moment. The only thing on her mind was either school, or George, and she really did not want to discuss her love life with her boyfriend's sister. There was also the small fact that she had no idea how Ginny felt about her and George being together. It was a tense situation for Padma, and she had decided avoidance was the best bet for the time being.

She was talking rather in depth to Colin though, which was odd. Padma had had no idea they were that close. Pushing away her feelings of loneliness, she walked away, cursing to herself again that she had let Parvati talk her into taking Divination again this year.

Ginny watched intently as Slughorn introduced them to the makings of veritaserum. He chuckled at a joke he had just told, seemingly not noticing the smirking looks of condescension on most of his student's face.

"Class, pull out your textbooks, and please turn to page 106. We need to fully understand the theory of this potion before attempting it." With that, Horace Slughorn sat back in his large, overstuffed chair, and dipped a pudgy hand into the ever-present bag of crystallized pineapple at his side.

The rest of the class was spent in silence, reading, and Ginny blinked as she stared down at the words in front of her. Yawning, she propped her chin up on her palm, her elbow resting precariously on the open book.

Colin watched Ginny from the corner of his eye, noticing how her nose was looming closer and closer to the words on the affects of the veritaserum. He was trying to concentrate on his own reading, but it was hard to ignore Ginny who was suddenly so pale, and delicate looking, and fast asleep, her cheek pressed intimately to the book.

Sighing, he gently shook her shoulder, looking around surreptitiously to make sure no one was paying any attention to them in the corner of the potions dungeon. As she slowly woke, swatting at his hand like one would a persistent fly, he placed his other hand in the air for Professor Slughorn's attention.

"Mr. Creevey?" The portly man asked with a slight smile on his rotund features.

"Professor, Ginny Weasley seems to be unwell, may I escort her to the Hospital Wing?"

Ginny sat up blinking at the sound of Colin's voice, looking around, faintly confused as to what was going on. Slughorn looked at her for a moment, before nodding at Colin, "Please do."

Making their way through the hallways, Ginny turned to her friend, "Thanks Colin. I don't really need to go to the hospital wing though…"

"I know." He stared ahead, "I was going to take you back to the tower for some rest. I would imagine you need more of that than usual at the moment."

She nodded, grateful that he understood, and wasn't pushing her with questions. "Thanks again."

Colin walked Ginny to the bottom of the stairs to the girl's dormitories before quietly walking right back out, and making his way to the library. People tended to leave him alone, to let him observe, and for some reason, the majority of the Slytherin seventh years had this period off together every other day, and tended to lounge in the darkest corner of the library near the restricted section.

Swallowing his apprehension of approaching the group that, despite their association with Ginny, still scared the shit out of him, Colin walked slowly to that corner, trying to be as quiet as possible, stepping lightly so that the library aides would have no reason to approach him.

Draco Malfoy was holding court, his long form sprawled in one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs, tipped back on two legs, his arms behind his head. Pansy was scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment, trying to finish her Charms essay, while Vince appeared to be asleep at her side.

Blaise was definitely asleep in one of the window seats, the shades pulled tightly against the harsh mid-day, winter sun, his longish black hair obscuring half of his face.

Colin cleared his throat hesitantly, not really wanting to gain the attention of the Slytherins at rest.

Draco looked at him with narrowed silver eyes, "Are you lost?"

"I'm a friend of Ginny's…" Colin's voice trailed off as Blaise Zabini sat up with an effortless grace, turning his full attention on the Gryffindor.

"Uhm… Ginny Weasley?" Colin licked his dry lips, the full intensity of Draco's gaze now upon him.

"Yes, we would know who Ginny is." Draco drawled in his low, husky voice, "Is there a reason you felt like coming in here, and announcing that?"

"Uhm…"

"For a Gryffindor, you're not all that courageous." Blaise remarked from his seat, watching Colin with curiosity.

"She needs you." Colin finally managed to burst out, almost wishing he could take it back as Draco and Blaise shot to their feet, staring at him.

"What? What happened?" Blaise's usual dulcet-tones were coming out much higher pitched than he was used to. He cringed, and coughed, hoping that Colin had not really registered that as he stood under Draco's intense scrutiny.

"She's not hurt!" Colin added hastily as Draco advanced on him in a threatening way, "She was… unwell in Potions, and I took her back to the tower. She's there now. I just think that she… needs you. Both of you."

Pansy watched this exchange with interest, her quill still in her hand where it lingered over her essay, slowly dribbling black ink onto her carefully formed words. She would curse over her own carelessness later.

"Let's go." Blaise's response was immediate, and Colin sighed in relief as Draco turned away from him, to face his fellow Slytherin.

Colin led the two older boys up through the school silently. They seemed just so… intense when it came to Ginny, anyone could see that, and yet, for some strange reason, he got the feeling that they had no idea about the baby. He couldn't understand that at all, as it had seemed as clear as day to him, but she still needed them in these early stages.

Blaise glanced at Draco, noticing how taut his jaw was, _We knew she was going through something, Blaise. We knew. _

_I know._

_Why did it take some sniveling little sixth year to… Gods! _Draco was upset, Blaise could tell. It was mildly obvious.

_Don't worry yet, love, we don't even know what's going on. _

Colin watched with awe as both Slytherins made their way up the stairs that he had never managed to overcome with little to no effort, and sighed. Maybe this was why the girls always went for the bad boys. It was quite enough to make one to go out and buy a badass leather jacket.

Draco pushed the door open carefully, immediately spotting Ginny curled up in a small ball on her bed. Feeling Blaise following close behind him, he picked his way around the various items of female paraphernalia that littered the floor, coming to a kneeling position beside the bed at her head.

Blaise sat down on the bed beside her hip, watching her intently. Ginny had felt their presence the moment they had stepped into the tower, and she slowly opened her eyes to stare into Draco's beloved face.

"Hi." She smiled softly, reaching out a hand to trail it through his silky hair. He smiled in return, turning his head to press a gentle kiss into her palm.

Blaise leaned forward to kiss her cheek, sitting back as she turned to smile at him sleepily. "Hi kitten. Feeling lazy today?"

"Mmhmm…" Ginny rubbed her hands across her eyes, reminding Blaise strongly of a kitten. He grinned at her again, stretching out beside her, feeling Draco laying on her other side.

Ginny reached out for each of their hands, holding on tightly. She knew it was time, but she had no idea how to tell them. She had no idea what she even wanted to do.

"Tell us." Draco spoke quietly, hugging her close, "Let us in."

"I'm trying…" She said just as softly, no louder than a whisper.

"You do tend to lock us out of anything important, I hate to bring that up, kitten." Blaise chuckled lightly as she aimed a punch at his shoulder, before turning over fully to kiss his cheek.

"I love you…" She whispered to him, then looked at Draco, "I love you…"

"Stop changing the subject, Red." Draco admonished softly. "I love you too though."

Ginny sighed, burrowing deeply into his side, "Fine."

Blaise listened in mild shock as Ginny outlined what had happened in the Hospital Wing after her Quidditch fall.

"Are you sure?" Draco's authoritative voice broke the silence that fell after those two fateful words were spoke, 'I'm pregnant.'

"Yes." Ginny could feel her eyes smarting, tears gathering, and she could barely say a thing.

"Well, I didn't see this coming…" Blaise murmured, his thoughts going a thousand miles a second. "We have to get married… we need to figure out what you're going to do about school…"

Ginny looked at him in shock, "Blaise, I'm not sure if I want to have the baby yet."

"What?" He looked down at her in disbelief, "What are you talking about?"

"I might take a potion from Madame Pomfrey that… well, it would make me lose the baby."

"How could you think about doing that?" Blaise moved away slightly, still unable to believe that she had seriously said something like that.

Draco shot him a sharp look, before look back at Ginny, "We'll support you no matter what you decide, Gin. If you decide that, then that's fine… It is your future that we are talking about here, and it is your body."

"No!" Blaise exclaimed, climbing off the bed with none of his usual grace, "I can't understand why you would say something like that? That would be murdering a child!"

Ginny whimpered slightly, and turned her head into her pillow. She was starting to feel sick to her stomache, and just so damned guilty. Blaise was so upset…

Draco pulled Ginny into his arms again, holding her tightly, feeling her trembling, and he stroked her hair away from her face. "Come on Blaise, we'll talk about this later. Can't you see that she's not up to talking about this yet?"

"Fine." Blaise sat down on the edge of the bed, his back to both of them, and buried his head in his hands. He just couldn't… that's what his mother had wanted for him, she had told him often enough. Why would Ginny want to do that to their child?

--

Charlie stroked a hand over Emily's thick, rich hair, feeling the strands catch at his fingers as she slept. He sighed, and rolled onto his back. She had been distant all evening, and when asked what was wrong, her only reply was "Nothing.".

Admitting to himself that he quite suspected women were insane, Charlie closed his eyes, and hoped that sleep would find him soon.

Waking up what felt like a moment later, Charlie reached out with a languorous arm, ridged with hard muscles from exhausting physical labour, for the curvy, warm body that he expected to be laying beside him. His fingers curled into a fist as he slowly realized that Emily had already left for her shift.

Stretching his arms over his head to work the kinks out of his back, Charlie stared up at the rough wood of the ceiling, thinking about all that he had to accomplish at work.

A group from the British Ministry of Magic was visiting the reserve, and Charlie was expected to present them with his work, as well as act as an interpreter for them to be able to converse with the Director, who only spoke Romanian and French. He had a few hours before their arrival, however, and he wished that Emily had stayed to play hooky with him.

It had been awhile since they had made love, he realized with a shock, almost two weeks. Even though his mind hadn't registered that, his body sure had… He looked down at his straining flesh, grimacing at his almost-painful desire.

Charlie looked to the window, with the shades still pulled tightly against the harsh mid-morning sun, and he ran slightly trembling fingers over the length of his cock, feeling lust pool in his stomache.

Wrapping his hand around his aching flesh, Charlie slowly moved his fist, images of Emily's naked form flitting through his mind. Gasping, he rubbed his thumb over the tip, the sensitive nerve-endings there pulsating at the motion.

His hand circling around, moving rhythmically, Charlie could feel the sweat running down his sides as he arched his back, his eyes closed tightly against the incredible feelings. As if by it's own volition, his hand sped up, wringing more and more moans of pleasure from his lips.

With a finally low cry, Charlie came, his hand pulling away as his flesh became too sensitive. Trying to catch his breath, he lay in bed for a few moments longer, before rising to take a quick shower. His body at ease, his mind working a thousand miles a second trying to figure out what the hell was going on with his relationship.

--

Padma entered the Hogsmeade branch of Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes with a slight feeling of trepidation. One never could know what her boyfriend, and his brother, would be up to upon entering one of their stores.

"Padma!" George spotted her entering the shop, and walked over to greet her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he leaned in to kiss her hard on the mouth. Padma smiled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his slim waist.

"Hey you." She grinned up at him, before turning away to check out their new displays, "Have you been behaving yourself?"

"Never." He grinned back, grabbing her hand to pull her to the back of the shop where his coat was waiting, "I am starving. I actually started fantasizing about the canary creams, it was bad. Liam had to hold me back, the poor boy is an accountant, not a dragon-keeper, after all."

"Ha ha." She remarked dryly, spotting a new candy that she had never seen before. "What does this one do?"

"Try it." Not trusting the evil glint in his eye, Padma hastily put the box back on the shelf, and then turned and kicked him in the shin.

"Hey!" He leaned down to rub the pained appendage, trying to grab hold of her arm in the process. She laughed at him, and jumped back a few paces, just out of reach, "Oh, I'm going to get you back for that, you know that, right?"

"I look forward to it." Padma quirked a dark eyebrow at him, before walking back to the front door.

"You're all talk, girly!"

As George hobbled after her, he reflected just how true those words were. Padma always seemed to be so hot and passionate, until a certain point, when she seemed to shut down, and push him away. It was confusing as hell… and he was pretty sure he loved her.

Sitting down to eat at the Hog's Head, Padma waved to a few of her classmates that she spotted, waiting for George to catch up to her, still limping slightly. Huh. She didn't really feel that guilty over that.

George glared at her, and then caught up her hand to kiss her knuckles, ordering himself a butterbeer as he went. "I can't seem to stay mad at you, even when you kick me. It's a real curse."

Padma grinned in return, "And all that without a blowjob. Yay me!"

Sighing, George took a large gulp of his drink. It was like a rollercoaster, it really was.

A/N: Ah…. A bit late on the update this time… sorry about this. I'll try to write this weekend (Happy Canada Day All!!! I know… Corona and the beach long weekend!)

Thank you again for the lovely reviews, I especially appreciated the declarations of love, and about my adjectives. Those made me laugh…. heheh

Ok, there's going to be some residual fall out from this chapter, but I really wanted to have a non-cliché Ginny pregnancy, and this was the best way to do it. I thought it would also be interesting to have Draco be the pro-choice, and Blaise pro-life of that particular debate. Please don't flame me with your personal beliefs on this issue, as that's not really the point here. Just read… I already know what I'm going to do with that storyline.

A BIG THANK YOU TO AIRMIDM! She shared her knowledge with me, and I hope that I stay faithful to that. Thank you once again!


	4. Chapter 4

WARNING: explicit sexual content ahead.

Chapter 4:

Draco had taken to sneaking into Ginny's dorm each evening, holding her close as she slept. She and Blaise were currently not on the greatest of terms, and even Draco couldn't completely understand why Blaise refused to see things from Ginny's point of view.

This evening, they were in another place altogether though. He ran his fingers down her back, feeling her warmth through the shirt of her uniform. They had had a pretty stressful day, as Ginny had finally had her meeting with McGonagall after missing the first one almost a week prior due to not feeling well, and then having to deal with Blaise.

They had walked with trepidation up the Headmistress' staircase, noticing all that had changed since Dumbledore had died. Draco felt a sinking feeling at that, he had never fully divulged to Ginny his exact role in that, even with knowing how close the two had been.

It was honestly on account of two factors that he had not told her. The first was that he had been warned by McGonagall and the Order to keep his role quiet in return for their protection. The second, was simply that he feared Ginny's response.

Draco sat in the large leather chair, holding Ginny's hand as she slowly sank down in the chair beside him, and they awaited the Headmistress' arrival.

"Thank you for coming with me, Draco…" Ginny glanced at him, squeezing his fingers tightly, her eyes showing her level of nervousness about this meeting. She was dreading it.

"I couldn't exactly let you come alone now, could I?" He tried smirking in return, but had to instead settle for a taut smile.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Weasley, I must say I am a bit surprised to see the two of you together in front of my desk." Minerva McGonagall swept in, her bespectacled eyes taking in the Slytherin and the Gryffindor.

Ginny just nodded mutely, Draco gave no outward reaction to the woman who, for all intents and purposes, had saved his life the previous July.

"Now, I understand from Madame Pomfrey, that there is a bit of a situation." She sat down at her desk, staring at them as she poured herself a cup of tea.

Relaxing back with the fine, china mug, Minerva went on, "I am incredibly disappointed in your lack of precautions, and I need to know what you intend to do."

"Well, I…" Ginny's voice trailed off, and she glanced at Draco, needing his strength, visibly wilting under the Headmistress' disapproval, and censure.

Draco's broad shoulders tightened noticeably, and when he spoke, his voice was cold, "I believe, Headmistress, that this is not really that much of your concern."

"It is," She glared at him, sipping her tea in a calm manner at odds with the tone of her voice, and her words, "as Miss. Weasley is still underage. I need to notify her parents, as technically she is still under their authority."

"What?" Ginny stood up quickly, placing her hands on the edge of the large wooden surface that separated them, "You can't do that!"

"I have to. They have a right to know. And quite frankly, Ginny, if you were not ready for the consequences, you were not ready for the deed that brought you here." McGonagall frowned, and placed her tea cup on the saucer.

"But I don't even know what I want to do yet! It's _my_ body!" Ginny shook with rage, and fear, and could do nothing more except smack the table, and turn away, crossing her arms against her chest, hugging herself tightly.

Draco quickly stood up, not wanting to see Ginny this upset, "Professor, this is also my baby, and I am of age. Does that mean nothing?"

"No." Her answer was short, blunt, "Ginevra Weasley is still under her parent's protection, and they actually have a say in what options she has. I must inform them, and then they may act as they see fit."

"This is not fair." Ginny choked out, turning to give Draco a pleading look, a look that said 'please do something'. He had never felt so hopeless.

They had managed to leave after getting a promise from their reluctant Headmistress that she would wait for two weeks to tell Molly and Arthur, and the pair had taken refuge in the Room of Requirement, which had transformed itself into a duplicate of Blaise's room.

They still lay there, in the exact image of a room where they had always felt so safe, and loved, Ginny crying silent tears against Draco's chest. He didn't really have any idea what to do, what to say, so he simply held her.

They had been quietly talking about her options, going over what each would entail, how they felt about it all, but for the last ten minutes, they had both fallen silent as of some unspoken accord.

Though they did not realize it, both of their thoughts were on Blaise. Ginny, after feeling abandoned by him and his attitude, was now angry. If anything, his reaction was causing her to feel more reckless, more willing to go through with Pomfrey's potion, but she was trying to suppress that instinct. The issue was not black and white to her, as he seemed to think, though Draco seemed to understand that a little bit more, which she was grateful for.

"What are we going to do…" Ginny spoke quietly, disturbing the silence, feeling blotchy, tired, and out of sorts. Draco tightened his arms around her in response, not really needing to say anything.

Despite what he had said to McGonagall, he had no idea if the baby was his or Blaise's, as Ginny had no idea, and he was surprised at how little he cared. The important thing was Ginny right now… She needed him more than Blaise.

He couldn't really figure out what he felt about her pregnancy in general. It was not the best news he had ever heard… He knew that Ginny was ambitious, and he definitely wanted more time alone with her and Blaise after school, and then he wanted bonding, marriage, and then babies, in that order. Feeling a little silly that it was the order in which things were happening that upset him, Draco leaned down to kiss Ginny.

He lingered on her lips, feeling the wetness there from the tears she had shed. Slowly kissing his way across her cheek, he delicately brushed his lips across her eyelid. She lifted her face to his, staring into his eyes for a long moment, blue meeting silver, trying not to worry at that precise moment what she was going to do about the biggest decision in her life.

Draco slowly moved over her, pushing her gently onto her back as he did so, kissing her deeply. Ginny sighed at the depth of her feelings, giving herself wholeheartedly up to his kiss, feeling his lips slant over hers again and again, wanting to be closer.

"Draco…" She murmured between kisses, her hands entwining in his short, silvery locks, "I love you."

"Love you too, Gin." He smiled down at her, gazing at her with the tenderness she had come to expect, but which was still so out of character for him.

Ginny pushed at his shoulder until he reluctantly fell away to lie on his back, surprised for a moment until she slipped to cover him, grinning slightly as she stared down at him. Draco propped his arms behind his head, smirking up at her.

"I have you at my mercy…" Ginny spoke with relish. She had found her diversion, all right, though she missed Blaise more than she cared to admit.

"And what are you going to do with me?" His voice was lower than usual, husky with desire, as he stared into her face intently. She simply smirked back in response, loving that he was completely under her control… for the moment.

Straddling his slim hips with her knees, Ginny leaned forward to trace her fingers over his lips, watching as his eyes darkened. She stared at her own pale fingers as he slowly opened his full lips, allowing her entry.

Ginny shuddered as he slid his tongue around the tip of her finger in the most shockingly erotic way. Pulling her hand free before he could entice her to end this in the quickest way possible, she shook her head at him slightly, "Naughty."

"I try."

Placing her lips against the side of his throat, she bit into the pale skin delicately, licking the slight wound as Draco growled deep in his throat. Grinning against his skin, Ginny did it again, harder, which wrung a loud moan from the man beneath her.

"Love, I am about this close to rolling you over and just sinking into you." He gasped out, trying to speak around the incredible things she was doing to the side of his neck. The wicked redhead that was sitting on his, merely smiled up at him before continuing on blithely with what she had been doing.

Suddenly though, she stopped, staring down at him in shock. He immediately sat up, concern clear on his pale features, "Love?"

"Draco… I don't know if I can… I didn't ask Madame Pomfrey about that." Ginny crawled off him, sitting with her legs folded under her, looking so incredibly vulnerable, and young at that moment, that Draco could do little more than wrap his arms around her, trying to ignore the frustration that was now coursing through him.

"Don't worry, Gin, it'll be ok."

--

Luna Lovegood, despite all intents and purposes, was a creature of habit. She was organized to within an inch of her life, and liked it that way. Her habits were deeply ingrained after almost six years at Hogwarts.

Waking up promptly at seven in the morning, she hopped out of bed to take a nice, leisurely shower before her roommates could wake up.

Breathing in the fresh rose scent of her specially-made body wash that her father sent four times a year, Luna ran the sponge down her leg. Noticing how the golden tan she had acquired in the Caribbean during her Christmas holidays, she grinned remembering her dad's fruitless search for snorf-blasts.

Toweling her long, pale hair, Luna made her way back to her room, where she had laid out her uniform for the day on top of the chest beside her bed.

Glancing around as she quickly donned her clothing, Luna noticed how her roommates were still all asleep, and she swallowed the feeling of loneliness that seemed to settle on her more and more.

Blaise and Ginny were her only two real friends, and they were both so wrapped up in their own issues, that she felt a little abandoned. Scooping up her bag where she had left it on the edge of her bed, she noticed that her favourite quill was missing… again.

Luna sighed, knowing that it would show up mysteriously in a few days time, and made her way to the library where she studied for the next couple of hours until breakfast in the Great Hall.

Hogwarts had never really felt like 'home' to Luna. She missed her father, she missed her room, her house… Her roommates were civil when they wanted something from her, cruel the rest of the time, and they thought nothing of stealing and borrowing her possessions whenever the idea struck them.

Finding her favourite deserted classroom, Luna set about her studying. School did not come easily to her, it never had. She had learned early on that she needed to do twice the work in order to get the grades, but it was worth it to her.

Going through her charms homework, she wrinkled her brow, concentrating on the correct wand techniques for the essay Flitwick had assigned her class, figuring that she would need at least a foot more before it would be acceptable.

Luna finished her essay, and started in on her transfigurations homework, only to stop as she realized that breakfast should be starting, according to her rumbling stomache. She carefully repacked her shoulder bag, making sure to place the items in the order that she liked…. Charms book on the bottom because it was at the end of the day, a flask of water at the side for when she got thirsty in potions, her quills in their protective case (minus the one that was 'missing') to the left of her arithmancy text for easy access.

This was her busy school day, what with arithmancy right after breakfast, and she tended to be a teacher's aide to Hagrid during her lunch hour, stopping to only quickly nibble at a sandwich.

Almost asleep by the time supper rolled around around, Luna ate her food quickly, trying to ignore the comments and jibes from her fellow Ravenclaws.

--

_It was a large room, understated elegance seemingly entrenched through each surface, each material. The walls were a sky blue, a fire roaring in the great fireplace, and a deep carpet covered the hardwood floors more for touch and sight, rather than warmth._

_Windows made up one wall, looking out over a vast garden, covered by still white snow, undisturbed except for several animal prints that made it clear that this was a home to many. _

_The enormous bed was angled toward the windows, as well as the fire, and was a sea of sapphire and white fabrics, luxuriously soft. In the corner, a small children's playpen stood, toys littered around the large sofa that graced the wall._

_A little girl with black curls framing a face, plump cheeks pink with excitement and sleep came running through the double doors, forgetting all that she had been taught about knocking first. She stood staring at the large bed which contained her parents with exasperation plain on her features._

"_Da!" With that exclamation, she made her way to the side to pull at her Father's larger hand, "Wake up!"_

_Blearily, Ginny looked around, awakened by the small voice, and looked over Draco's still form to see her daughter doing her best to awaken the entire household._

"_Emmy…" The little girl looked up to meet her mother's bright eyes, a pout across her cupid's bow mouth._

"_Mum, he won't wake up, and he promised." _

_Ginny chuckled lightly, before reaching over to poke Blaise in the back of the shoulder, "Hey you, stop pretending you're asleep."_

"_Argh." Blaise pushed himself up onto his elbows, shaking his hair out of his eyes, "Emmy, darling, we've talked about this. No waking Daddy before nine. It just isn't healthy."_

"_Da!" She threw herself at him, forcing him to roll onto his back, and catch her before she bounced off his shoulder. Holding her tight, Blaise breathed in her little-girl scent of vanilla, and crayons, before cuddling her into the slight space between him and Draco._

_Draco smiled at her sleepily, leaning down to kiss her forehead, "Hi lovey, why are you awake so early?"_

_She pouted at him, looking so much like Ginny in that moment that Draco blinked in surprise, "We were going to go on the new Nimbus today. Da promised!"_

"_Huh…" Draco looked into Emmy's eyes, Ginny's eyes, and knew he was a goner. Their daughter had him completely wrapped around her little finger. "We will. Give us a little bit to wake up, ok?"_

"_Mummy?" A tremulous little voice sounded from the still-open doorway, alerting the three adults to the presence of a small child. Ginny sat up to smile, motioning the little boy forward._

"_Hi Rhys…" She cuddled him into her arms, smiling as Draco turned over to kiss his cheek, watching the light catch on the bright blonde curls that graced their son's head, so similar to his own._

_Emmy, pouting at the distraction, reached over and sharply tugged on said curls, causing her younger brother to cry out, and Blaise to scold her sternly._

_Looking over the large bed where his family lay, Blaise smiled, kissing the top of Emmy's head with distraction, despite having lectured her not a moment earlier. These were the types of moments he lived for._

_So different from his own childhood, he had taken great pains to ensure that Emmy and Rhys have as normal, as idyllic lives as possible. He knew that Ginny and Draco felt the same, and there was such love in their household._

_Leaning over, he brushed a gentle kiss across Draco's lips, moaning lightly as he felt his tongue slide out to meet his own. Grinning down into Draco's smirking face, Blaise climbed out of the bed, intent on getting the children fed, and dressed._

_Ginny, Rhys still attached to her like a limpet, also climbed out of bed, smiling as she shifted him around to pull on her silk robe over her nightdress. _

_Rhys was almost upon his third birthday, and he was still very much his mummy's good little boy, whereas his sister was nearing a lordly eight, and while clung to her mother at moments, was becoming more and more of her own self, finding that her daddies tended to let her get away with much more mischief._

_Pulling a t-shirt over his head, Blaise turned to see Emmy trying to drag Draco out of bed by tugging on his hand. It was not working out quite as she had hoped, and she was biting her pouty lower lip between her small white teeth, concentrating hard, while lecturing him sternly that he had "promised". _

_Draco sighed melodramatically, finally allowing her to have her way, and he stood up, reaching over to pull Ginny and Rhys to him with one arm, kissing them both on the forehead._

"_Who wants eggy bread?" Blaise asked brightly, gaining the attention of the two kids quickly with the offer. Emmy squealed, racing forward, the oversized shirt she had worn to bed flying out behind her, to grab a none-too-gentle hold on his hand. Rhys held his arms out with a big grin across his little face, his bright blue eyes sparkling, leaned away from Ginny who held him out to Blaise's waiting arm._

_With his children pressed close against him, secure, Blaise felt his heart swell, so incredibly happy. This was how it should be. This was what he had dreamed about for so many years, growing up with his mother, who's version of 'love' was so skewed, that he still had nightmares._

_So happy….._

Blaise woke up slowly, the dream releasing him slowly from the tendrils of sleep. He looked around, expecting to still be in that peaceful room, still with Ginny and Draco. Throat contracting painfully when he thought of the two children, he sighed deeply.

Ginny pregnancy, and the ensuing fight, had been weighing on his mind heavily. He honestly could not understand her thoughts. How many times had Savvy Zabini thrown it in his face that he was an accident, that only his father's influence had kept him from meeting that fate?

Pulling himself out of bed, he half-heartedly wondered if this kind of dreaming was better or worse than his dreams of his own childhood… his dreams of being helpless against his mother's cruel and twisted actions.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at his door, and Blaise pulled a hand wearily through his thick hair as he made his way to answer it.

Luna grinned up at him, radishes swinging from her earlobes, a tray balanced precariously between her arm and hip, her other hand raised as if to knock again. Slowly, she lowered it, as she took in his pale appearance.

"Well, you look like a nargle had his way with you." She remarked lightly, her big, pale blue eyes narrowing as she gazed up at him.

Blaise smiled slightly, stepping back from the doorframe, silently admitting her.

"I didn't see you at lunch or dinner, so I brought you something to eat." She carefully set the tray down on his desk, and turned to again watch him.

"Thank you, but I don't know if I'm hungry." He sat down in his armchair, his long form drooping uncharacteristically. Luna shrugged, taking a seat beside him, "Suit yourself. I brought some very delicious things, and I don't mind seconds."

She slowly bit into the edge of the shepherd's pie she had brought, making sure to hum in pleasure around it, making sure he could tell just how flaky the crust was, just how juicy the meat inside… and it worked. He swiped it from her hands, shooting her a dark look, "That wasn't fair."

"No." She agreed, sitting back to watch him devour the rest of the pie, as well as the pumpkin juice, and the lemon tart.

Blaise finally sat back with a satisfied look, brushing his lips with the napkin that rested beside the plate, and glanced at her, wondering at her silence. Luna was not the loudest of girls, to be sure, but she never stayed silent for this long unless she was plotting… She really did have the most patience of anyone he had ever met for that sort of thing.

"Why have you been hiding?" He jumped slightly at her quiet voice, looking away.

"I haven't been hiding."

"Liar." She smiled softly around the insult, "You've been hiding and brooding by the looks of things. You know what I say about that… you're too pretty to be thinking so hard."

Blaise laughed reluctantly, shaking his head. Her humour did come out at the oddest of times.

"So…" She trailed off, watching him out of the corner of her eyes, "What are you thinking about so intently?"

He sighed, folding his hands over his flat stomache, staring into the fireplace. Briefly, he wondered where his wand was to light it, but he had more important things to think about, "Ginny's pregnant."

Luna's only response was to raise a pale golden eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate, "We have no idea if me or Draco are the father, but that's not really important in the scheme of things. Luna, she might take that abortive potion. She might kill the baby."

"How far along is she?" Luna asked softly, now staring at him, though he refused to look her way.

"About 3 months now."

"How long have you known?"

"A couple of weeks."

"Is that why you, Ginny, and Draco are on the outs?"

"You knew?" He glanced up at her in surprise, his navy eyes dark.

She nodded, "You're not as subtle as you'd like to think." Luna thought hard on the situation, turning over the options in her mind, choosing her words carefully, being able to tell just how upset Blaise was about this, "So… Ginny's not keen to be a mum."

"I think she _wants_ to be a mother." He shot her a dark look, "She's just… well, she thinks we're all too young."

"But you're not." Luna expanded, her blue eyes shuddered, "I mean, you and Draco are more than financially stable, so that would help. And why would Ginny need to go to school? I bet she wants to be a stay-at-home mum."

"There is no way she wants that." Blaise argued hotly, "She has ambitions, and she's smart. She's going to do whatever she wants."

"Ok…" Luna's voice trailed off, "But I bet she wants to be like her mum though, right? I mean, her mum had her oldest brother barely out of Hogwarts, and she's quite content."

"No!" Blaise was starting to get truly angry at Luna, staring at her like he'd never seen her before, "She thinks her mum missed out on a lot by having him that young. She doesn't want to be like her mum!"

"Hmm…." Luna appraised him calculatingly, "Well, that's what will happen if she has this baby at sixteen."

"What?" Shocked, he could only stare at her, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know full well what I'm talking about." Luna sat back, twirling a long lock of pale hair between her fingers, "If she has the baby, she'll have to leave school. And without the education, what kind of future does she have?"

"But we would help!"

"How?"

"Well, we'd support her…"

"But you just said she wouldn't want that."

"That's not what I meant!" Blaise was getting frustrated, and he stood up to pace in front of the two chairs, glaring at her. "Look, Luna, you wouldn't understand about this. You don't know."

"Well… I am sixteen, and a girl." She grinned at him slightly, "And I have been sexually active, despite all appearances to the contrary."

"Really?" He stopped, and stared at her in astonishment, "With who?"

"Not that important in the current conversation, is it?"

"Huh." He turned away, but had to stare at her again, "Who?"

"Oliver Wood."

"Oh." He knew he looked like a twit in that moment, but he really couldn't seem to close his mouth. Blaise was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that the almost frighteningly innocent Luna Lovegood had boinked the former Gryffindor Quidditch captain, "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"When?"

"None of your business."

"Huh." Blaise stared at her a moment longer before his thoughts wandered back to Ginny… Draco… their baby. Gods, his dream had seemed so incredibly real… and right.

Luna listened intently as he outlined the dream for her, nodding as he paused for breath, taking in how he lingered over describing the two children, on the happiness in his voice, and she watched him sadly.

"Blaise, may I ask you something?"

"Sure." He looked at her with apprehension. This couldn't be a good thing.

"How much is your past holding you back from looking to the future? Just because now might not be the right time, for either you, or Draco, or Ginny, doesn't mean that it won't happen in the future."

Blaise looked at her, and slowly shook his head, "Luna, you just don't understand."

--

Emily lit the candle in the middle of her and Charlie's small dining room table with a flick of her wand, and stood back with a self-satisfied smile to take in her handy work. She had put a lot of effort in this romantic dinner.

Charlie followed his nose into the room, looking through the open plan rooms to the kitchen where a roast was sizzling in the stove, dishes floating back and forth between the counter and table.

Appreciatively, his gaze turned toward his girlfriend, and his bright brown eyes widened as he took in the small black dress that hugged her generous curves, her rich mahogany hair shining in the candlelight.

Emily caught her breath as she realized Charlie had entered the room, and smile tremulously at him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders hugging her, "Is there a special occasion that I don't know about?"

"No." Emily stepped back to flick her wand over at the stove, the roast falling apart in perfect slices, "Can't a girl do something nice for her perfect boyfriend?"

"Sure, I'll drink to that." He grinned easily, slightly confused, but willing to go with it. She passed him a glass of deep red wine, the colour a few shades darker than his hair, and clinked her own against it before taking a sip. Charlie followed suit, and then seated himself at the table.

They were both silent as they served themselves, Charlie closing his eyes as he chewed on the succulent meat. Emily never cooked… she really didn't like to, but he loved home-cooking, so generally he did it. Still, there was nothing better than someone else cooking for you, as his mum had taught him from a very young age.

Slowly, the meal died down, and Charlie realized that they had said all of ten things to each other, and half of that was something along the lines of "Please pass the…".

"We have that Ministry function tomorrow night, Charlie." Emily broke the silence almost desperately.

He nodded, swallowing the bite he had taken before answering, "I remember. We'll leave at around six, right?"

"Right."

Uncomfortable silence settled again.

Charlie cleared his throat, "So, how was your day?"

She shot him a quick look that he couldn't define, before smiling brightly, "Fine."

"Good."

The rest of the meal was spent in quiet contemplation of their plates, the silence awkward and tense.

Emily sighed, and stood up to pile her dishes on the counter. "I think I'm going to head to bed."

Charlie stared in shock as she left, not quite sure what was going on. Following her to the bedroom, he crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the doorframe, watching as she got undressed.

"Emily," His voice brought her up short, and she turned to him as he continued, "What is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… why won't you talk to me? Why do you turn away?"

"I didn't realize I was." His eyebrows rose at the sound of irritation that had made it's way into her voice.

"Come on." He walked over to her, trying to ignore the way that she stiffened as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "What's going on?"

"Honestly Charlie, why does everything have something to do with you?" She pulled away from him, going to pull back the sheets on the bed, placing the wand on the small table beside it.

"That's not what I said." He was honestly bewildered.

"Charlie, you're driving me mad right now. I don't want to talk." She angrily stalked off into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

Charlie stood stalk still in the middle of the bedroom, wondering what the hell had just happened.

--

Parvati slanted a look at her sister as they walked around the almost-frozen lake, the giant squid sending chunks of ice across the frozen surface negligently.

"So, how is George?"

"He's fine." Padma looked away, trying to remember if Slughorn had said the essay on veritaserum was due on the next Monday, or Tuesday.

"Fine?" Parvati chuckled lightly, "Just fine?"

"Yes," came the irritated response, "just fine."

"You can do better than that!"

"Let me ask you, Parv, why do we always have to talk about guys?"

"It beats the hell out of talking about school."

"What about politics? Death Eaters? The state of the environment?"

"Nope," Parvati shook her head, "Stop stalling, and answer the question."

"Glad to know your priorities are in the right place." Padma sighed, tugging her winter hat on tighter to cover her ears, "George is great. He and Fred are looking at expanding into France, so they're really busy. Uhm… I don't know what else you're looking for."

"Ok…" Parvati grinned at her, "Maybe something that is a little more relevant towards your relationship with him. Have you two… you know…"

"No, I don't." Padma slanted her an amused look as Parvati blushed slightly.

"Yes you do."

"No, so sorry."

"Fine!" She yelped, "Has he shagged you senseless yet?"

Padma laughed over her choice of words, "No, I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"What does Mr. Weasley think about that?"

"We haven't really discussed it."

"Oh, that's healthy."

"Of course."

"When are you going to see him?"

"Hopefully this weekend, but he might be in Paris on business."

Hearing Lavender calling out, both the Patils looked up toward the school to see her making her way to them.

"Hey Lav." Parvati greeted warmly, laughing as she took in Lavenders over-the-top bright pink coat.

"I wish it was summer so badly! I'm frozen." She complained as she finally caught up with them. "Plus, Seamus was telling me that the Chudley Cannons finally got Wood as a Chaser, and they actually have a shot at the Cup this year!"

"Huh." Padma really didn't have any interest in the sport, and being surrounded by those who did could get slightly… frustrating.

They continued walking, talking about various Quidditch games, and the players, Parvati not as knowledgeable as Lavender, but still interested.

Making their way back into the castle, they were stopped by Dean Thomas, who had a slightly wild look in his eyes, "Dementors attacked the Ministry!"

"What?" Padma looked at him in shock, unable to do much else. "Is everyone alright? What happened?"

"McGonagall just came to the tower to tell us. They are now completely out of Ministry control. She said, that it appears that they were simply testing the wards and defences of the building, and did little actual damage. A few people are being treated for shock, but nothing major."

"Good Gods…" Parvati breathed, winding a strand of her long dark hair around her fingers, "Now that's truly frightening."

"These attacks are getting more and more in the open," Padma remarked, her brow wrinkling as she thought about it.

"It is a little worrisome." Her twin added.

Dean nodded, "Tell me about it. I have no idea where the Golden Trio is, but Gods, I hope they're doing something to end it."

"Hopefully." Padma felt so removed from the wizarding world here in Hogwarts. It was as if they were in their own universe, where the outside world just did not have as great an affect. Honestly, it was a little disconcerting.

George had told her about the Order of the Phoenix, the resistance movement that most of his family was involved with, and she desperately wished she could do more to help, but she was really unable to do nothing from Hogwarts. She had never before counted down the days to graduation like she did now.

A/N: Ah, I hope you all enjoy this. I'M GOING TO SEE THE NEWEST MOVIE TONIGHT, AND I AM SO EXCITED!! I needed to get this chapter out before I went to that.

Thank you to all that reviewed previously, I really appreciated your thoughts. Yeah, something is going on with Emily and Charlie. It will come out next chapter. And Luna is going to be a major character from here on in… I have some interesting things in store for her.

Let me know what you think of this chapter!!!


	5. Chapter 5

WARNING: Some mention of child abuse, some violence.

Chapter 5:

Draco flew as long and hard as he could handle. He hadn't been away from Ginny's side in a week, other than classes, and barely knew what he thought about the situation aside from worry about her and her future.

Was he ready to be a dad? Well, that was a quite definite no. His own father hadn't been the best example of the role, and he barely thought he was suited for fatherhood.

Catching a glance of the sun shining off of a head of shining black hair, he made his way down to Blaise's side.

Blaise clenched his jaw as he watched Draco descend, landing with an effortless grace so characteristic in all of his movements.

"Blaise." Draco dropped his broom to the ground carelessly, striding to face his lover, friend, partner, barely a foot of space separating the two.

Dark blue eyes met steel grey for a long moment, before Blaise took a deep breath, "How is Ginny?"

"Pregnant." Draco rocked back on his heels, languidly folding his arms over his broad chest.

Blaise shot him a look, before continuing, "Has she made any decisions?"

"I don't think so."

"Oh."

Draco could not really recall a time when they had been so at odds with each other. It felt incredibly strange not to be on the same page.

_Narcissa Malfoy had been at one too many Wizarding benefits with the slightly frightening Savvy Zabini before she saw the small, shy figure of Blaise Zabini, trussed up in formal wizarding robes, and looking vastly uncomfortable. _

"_Hello there." She smiled gently down at the solemn, dark-haired child who looked to be around the same age as her Draco._

"_Good evening." He responded, glancing up at his mother with something akin to fear in his beautiful navy eyes. Narcissa recognized the look, and she felt white-hot rage sweep through her as she took in Savvy's predatory smile. _

_Lucius had asked her to court Savvy's favour, as she was a powerful pureblood, but she had always turned Narcissa's stomach. Before, it was because of her predatory presence, and the sheer number of husbands she had worked her way through with the majority dying prematurely. Now, though, she just had to look in Blaise's eyes to see something was so wrong in the Zabini household. _

_Mustering up a smile from somewhere, Narcissa looked at Savvy's coolly beautiful face, "Savvy, Blaise must spend some time with Draco."_

"_Of course, Narcissa." Savvy smiled back, showing startlingly white teeth against her olive-toned skin. Blaise flinched as his mother draped a slender arm over his shoulders, and squeezed him to her side, "Would that be okay with you Blaisey?"_

"_Yes." His voice was quiet, overly polite, and Narcissa couldn't really imagine her little Draco standing there, being that polite, for that long. She smiled, a genuine smile, into the little gamine face. _

_Sure enough, Blaise Zabini showed up in the Malfoy floo hall the next morning with a pop, and a big smile ready for the nice blonde lady. Instead, he encountered a startled Dobby, who yelped, and dropped the tray he was carrying._

"_I'm here to see Master Draco." Blaise enunciated carefully, remembering his Mother's instructions. Her approval was… well, very difficult to get…most of the time anyway._

"_Master Draco? You is here to see Master Draco?" Dobby bobbed his head as he carefully picked the tray off the floor, while casually smashing his fist into the side of his neck in punishment for dropping the tray. _

_Blaise nodded, unconcerned with the behaviour of the house elf. His mother's house elves were, if anything, worse. _

"_Blaise?" Narcissa walked into the room and smiled at the little boy, holding out an elegant white hand for him to grasp onto, "Let's go find Draco."_

_He hesitated for a moment, nervous of the physical contact, before smiling slightly and holding her hand. Narcissa's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the pale pink scars that encircled his wrists, and she sighed. _

"_Do those hurt?" She asked quietly, motioning to the raised skin, not surprised when Blaise pulled back, wrapping his hands in his robes, looking away. _

_They stood there like that, the five year old being far too quiet for a five year old, until Draco screamed for his mother. Narcissa smiled, a bright, though serene smile, as her little boy came running into the hall, stopping abruptly when he saw Blaise._

"_Mother?" He asked uncertainly, instinctively reaching out a hand to grasp her expensive robes. _

_Blaise watched this with a look of extreme consternation. He could not imagine touching his mother's clothing, nor could he imagine running to her. It was very difficult for his young mind to process, but he believed he saw… something in Narcissa's gaze as she looked upon her son. Not anger… not hate… not vindictive pleasure… something softer, purer._

"_Draco, I would like to introduce you to Blaise Zabini." Narcissa held out her hand once again to the dark-haired little boy, slowly, waiting for him to trust her enough to touch her again. When he did so, she felt an unbelievable sense of accomplishment. _

_Draco, remembering his father's stern teachings on decorum, Malfoy pride, stepped out from his mother's side, holding his head rigidly high, and inclined his head ever-so-slightly, "Good day to you, Master Zabini."_

_Blaise grinned, showing off tiny white baby teeth, making Narcissa smile back at his shy little face, "Does it hurt to stand like that?"_

_Narcissa covered her mouth with her hand, determined not to laugh, and ruin Draco's moment, so reminiscent of his father. _

_If anything, Draco's nose seemed to go higher into the air in affront at the question, "Do, it does not."_

"_Ok." Blaise smiled charmingly, liking this odd blonde boy, "Do you want to play with my Nimbus Junior?"_

"_Yes!" Draco's airs were dropped as both boys ran for the door to play with the toy broomstick._

_Narcissa's eyes narrowed as she watched them from out of the window a little while later. That Blaise Zabini… a beautiful child, nice little boy, and scared witless of his own mother. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead. She couldn't interfere, and it made her feel powerless. _

_Lucius Malfoy wrapped a possessive arm around his wife's slender waist as she watched the boys playing, and kissed her forehead, content to be home. Narcissa leaned back against him, knowing that in a few short years, Draco would be fully immersed in his father's teachings as opposed to her own, and knowing how much that would change him._

_It wasn't a good thought. Lucius could so seldom take a step back and see the larger picture. His world tended to be in terms of black and white, pure and sullied… It was heart-breaking for her to realize that there was a good chance that Draco would turn out much the same way._

_Smiling tremulously, Narcissa leaned up to kiss Lucius' beautifully shaped lips before walking away into the house that had always felt more like a mausoleum than a home._

--

Ginny had a purpose. Padma was going to talk to her, whether she liked it or not, and Ginny was not going to let the intermittent nausea that she had been experiencing hinder her efforts. It was really too bad that Padma just didn't realize this yet.

Tricking the portrait that stood in front of Padma's Head Girl door was actually pretty easy. Taking out a knife that Charlie, in his misguided enthusiasm for Muggle weaponry, had sent her, and announcing that she was "pregnant, unbalanced, and violent", had gotten the door open with a yelp.

Moving into the room, Ginny let her eyes adjust to the low lighting before trying to take in her surroundings. She was, of course, familiar with the room.

"Padma?" Ginny whispered, worried that she had maybe caught her friend sleeping. Turning to leave, she heard a moan.

"Why, you slag…" She murmured, whipping around, to see a pale leg amidst the darkness of the bed, "Padma!"

Later, Ginny would desperately try to forget the sheer amount of her brother's flesh that was seen at this moment.

Sitting in a chair, not ten minutes later, across from Padma who was wrapped in her blanket, while George hid in the washroom, Ginny arched a pale red eyebrow.

"You knew." Padma accused softly.

"I did."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why didn't you?"

"Because it's weird!" She exclaimed, standing to pace, and blushing fiercely when Ginny put her hand over her eyes. Wrapping the blanket around her naked form a little more securely, Padma wandered over to her bureau.

Ginny watched her in bewilderment, "You think your relationship is "weird"? And I thought I had issues…."

"That's not what I meant." Padma glared at her over her shoulder, "I meant, that it's odd to talk to my boyfriend's sister about my boyfriend."

"Oh, trust me, I don't want to hear about him." Ginny assured her, still confused.

"Good!" They both turned as they heard George call from the bathroom.

"Well, this is a little bizarre." Padma seated herself on the chair across from Ginny, folding her legs carefully beneath the blanket.

"But strangely amusing." Ginny added helpfully.

"True."

They sat in silence for a long moment, only interrupted by George calling, "My bits are about to freeze off."

Ginny decided that that night was as good a time as any to try _obliviating_ herself.

"We didn't even get to the good part." Padma confided somewhat glumly. Ginny stared at her, wondering if _obliviate_ would be enough.

"I honestly don't know what to say."

George made his way back into the room, frantically holding Padma's purple silk bathrobe over himself, trying not to let it gape too much, and show his sister exactly why he was so popular with the ladies.

"Not that I don't love you or anything, Gin, but this is not the best time." He sat carefully beside Padma, grasping her hand.

"No, I want to talk to you! I've missed you!" Padma exclaimed, smiling at her friend, and then turning to frown at her boyfriend.

"Well, this is rather awkward…" Ginny murmured, trying not to laugh at the pained look on George's face as he stood to gather his clothing and retreat once again to the washroom.

"Why are you so pale?" Padma asked immediately, her dark eyes focused on Ginny's face. "Are you sick again?"

"Not quite…" Ginny glanced at the closed door, wondering just how much George could hear in there, "I'm pregnant."

Padma gaped at her, and her brother came rushing back into the bedroom. "What did you say?"

"Fuck it, I'm never having sex." Padma breathed, and if anything, George got an even wilder look in his eyes.

"Whose the father?" He demanded of Ginny.

"Don't know, don't really care…" She answered, staring down at her hands.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm really not sure." Ginny looked up to meet Padma's eyes, and saw the caring there, the love, and tried to blink back the tears. She wiped them away angrily, "I'm determined to stop feeling sorry for myself."

"Have you told mum and dad?" George asked, sitting down next to his sister, not minding that he had not pulled on his shirt yet, just wearing a pair of black slacks, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She shook her head mutely in response.

"Can I do anything to help?" Padma leaned forward to grasp her hand.

"Not really." Ginny spoke quietly, grateful for the support, "Draco is leaving it completely up to me, but Blaise… well, we're not really speaking right now. He just can't understand that I might not want to keep the baby."

George sympathized with Blaise, but just looking at his baby sister now… She was way too young for this. She had so much ahead of her.

"Are you gonna tell mum and dad?"

"I'm trying to put it off as long as possible." Ginny sighed, rubbing her forehead with her free hand, "McGonagall has given me two weeks before they're notified, and I'm almost at the end of that."

"Well, that's easy enough." George had that glint in his eye, the glint that various friends, family, and teachers had come to know and fear in both the twins, "Leave that to me."

"Thanks George." She smiled, a bit of the tension lifted from her shoulders. That was one less worry. And she really didn't want to know what he intended to do, whereas Padma was looking pretty interested.

"Okay, I don't want to think about this anymore." Ginny made the decision, and stood, "Let's head down to dinner. George…"

"Yeah, I have to head back to Hogsmeade." He leaned over kiss Padma goodbye, giving her a big wink, and a whispered, "I'll come back later."

"I don't really need to think about that!" Ginny called after him as he stepped into the fireplace. In return, he shot her a shit-eating grin, and raised his index and middle finger in an obscene gesture.

Ginny turned back to Padma, "And this is the boy you've chosen to affiliate yourself with?"

Padma shrugged.

--

Charlie clicked the little velvet box open and closed in a nervous sort of way. He had no need to look down into its dark depths, the twinkling diamond ring it held he had picked out with a great deal of difficulty on his list trip into town.

Checking his chunky leather watch, he realized that Emily was running late. Again. The scene was set for romance at their little cottage, he had conjured so many roses that it looked like he was sitting in the middle of a florist shop.

A bottle of red wine was open on the counter, letting it breath, and he had tried to put together a pasta dish from his mother's recipe, which may, or may not be a success. He was quite honestly, a little scared to try it, and was putting that off, hoping that she would simply appreciate the effort.

Clicking the little box, he listened to the satisfying creak, and then snapped it closed. Creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, on and on.

Realizing that if he continued playing with it, he was going to break it, Charlie stood up, and went to stand by the window, the better to see Emily before she approached the door.

Things had been so off between them lately… He hoped that this would make everything better.

Creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap….

Charlie leaned his forehead against the cool window, seeing a spurt of fire in the distance from one of the dragons. He fervently hoped it wasn't one of his, errant fire was usually seen as an example of a trainer not doing his job properly.

As his wand stayed silent and calm in his pocket, Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. He would have gotten the buzz from the Director if it had been one of his.

Snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap, creak, snap….

Okay, he was bored. Very bored. Pulling Ginny's latest letter out of his pocket, he re-read her neat print.

_Hi Charlie,_

_How are the dragons?_

_Everything's good here._

_I'm pregnant, don't tell mum._

_Love, _

_Ginny_

Chuckling lightly at Ginny's teasing, he shoved it away again, inwardly cringing at the very thought of his baby sister having a baby of her own. What a joker, she must have developed that under the twins' watch.

As far as he was concerned, she would be a virgin until hitting the grand old age of eighty, and not a minute before. He believed this, despite what George had said about her whereabouts on Christmas Eve. That was just… disturbing.

Smelling smoke, Charlie automatically glanced toward the dragon pens again, frowning slightly when he didn't see the cause. Shrugging, Charlie decided to have a glass of the wine as he waited, and he made his way to the kitchen.

The reason for the smell became clear, as thick black smoke billowed out from around the door to the oven. Charlie sighed, and pointed his wand at it to turn it off. This was not quite the night he had envisioned.

Throwing the pasta into the garbage, Charlie blew out the candles and decided to make his way to bed. This would obviously have to wait for another time, as a proposal really didn't go so well if the woman in question was missing.

Charlie punched his pillow, admittedly a little more violently than necessary, and settled in. He had to wake up early, and really could not afford to lose any sleep.

Try as he might, however, sleep was a long time in coming. He just… he had no idea what was going on, and it frustrated him to no end. By the way she was acting, he would have thought that she was pregnant, but he knew that Emily had had her period just a few weeks previously. That sort of thing was hard to hide from someone that you lived with.

Emily made her way into the house, almost tiptoeing to avoid alerting Charlie to her presence. The dining table was set for two, and candles still smoked softly as if to mock her. Her shoulders slumped.

Charlie lurched out of sleep as he heard the bedroom door creak open softly. He closed his eyes again quickly as she puttered around silently, pulling on one of his t-shirts to sleep in.

As Emily slid into bed, she held her breath, and moved carefully to avoid touching him, and possibly waking him up.

"Why were you so late?" He asked quietly, trying not to startle her.

Emily sighed, "I had to work. You know that."

Reaching out a large callused hand, he gently cupped her chin and turned her to face him. "Emily, what's going on?"

"Nothing." She summoned a smile, and turned to fully face him, "How was your day? Did you achieve anything with that new dragon?"

"We'll see." Charlie stroked a piece of chestnut hair off of her cheek, frowning slightly when he noticed how she stiffened, and seemed to pull away from him. "I missed you tonight."

"I saw that you had made dinner," She responded, reaching up to smooth her hair back, pulling it out of Charlie's fingers, "I'm sorry I missed it."

"Me too." Charlie placed his arm across her curvy waist, "I have something to ask you."

"What's that?" Emily flinched a little from his touch, wanting to move, but not sure how to go about it.

"I want to know…" He moved closer, "If you will marry me."

"What?" Staring into his caramel eyes, Emily was in a state of shock.

"Marry me, Em." Charlie smiled, and leaned forward to kiss her slack lips, "I have a ring, give me a minute and I'll grab it for you."

"Charlie…" Emily spoke faintly, "Where is this coming from?"

Staring at her, he responded, "I love you Emily. We live together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Say yes…"

"Oh Charlie…" Emily closed her eyes, wondering if this was what hell felt like, "I can't."

Charlie sat up in astonishment, and stared down at her, the covers falling around his waist, exposing his strongly muscled broad chest, "What?"

Sitting up, Emily faced him, her eyes holding his intently, "I can't."

"Why not?"

She took a deep breath, hearing her heart pounding rapidly, a pain in her chest, "I'm…. in love with someone else."

"Excuse me?" Charlie shot up, standing beside the bed in the nude, his powerful body tensed as if he was going into battle, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry Charlie." Emily could feel the tears starting to slide down her cheeks, "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Who is it?" Charlie clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to scream.

"Keiran." Emily bowed her head, sniffling, feeling so incredibly guilty and miserable, "Neither of us meant for this to happen. We just… fell in love."

"Keiran?" Walking over to the wardrobe, Charlie pulled on a t-shirt and his sweatpants, so angry that he couldn't help but slam his palm into the wardrobe door.

Emily jumped as she heard the crack of flesh against the wood and scrambled to her feet, "It just happened! Come on Charlie, things haven't been right between us for months!"

"So that gives you some sort of permission to go out and fuck my partner?" Charlie's voice dropped to a dangerous level, and he stalked out of the room to pace in the living room.

"It wasn't just sex! We fell in love!" Emily yelled as she followed him, holding her shirt to her thighs, trying to keep it from flying up.

"I don't understand you, Emily." Charlie rubbed his short red hair and glared at her, trying to control his Weasley temper. "I want to _marry_ you, and you were sleeping around behind my back. Why didn't you ever say anything? Why would you do this? Are you so lacking in morals?"

"I'm sorry!" She cried back, her face red and blotchy, her beauty hidden in her extreme distress. "I just… I didn't know how to tell you, and we had just moved in together. I tried to stop it, but I just… I couldn't."

"Huh." Charlie was feeling an absolute lack of empathy for her situation, "I think you're a bitch. I think that you did what was easiest for you, and didn't give a shit about anyone else."

Emily just stood there staring at him, slightly in shock. Charlie had never really gotten angry in front of her, she had never heard him raise his voice.

Charlie took a deep breath, trying in desperation to control himself, "I want you out."

"What?" She stared at him in shock.

"I want you out!" He yelled, "How can that surprise you? You cheated on me!"

"Fine!" Emily shrieked back.

Stalking off, leaving Emily to gather her things, Charlie grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey from the kitchen, and strode out the back door to sit on the porch and drink himself into oblivion. It hurt.

--

Theodore Nott was in a little bit of difficult situation. On the one hand, he had his father, Leo Nott, who had decided that he wanted to follow a muggle-born madman, which was all well and good, but on the other, Draco and Blaise were the more imminent threats, and they scared him.

What to do… Walking down the hall to Divination, he noticed the Lovegood girl skulking in the corner, and realized again at just how often she was around. She had a very good ability to keep to the background, and he had to wonder just how much she heard, and knew. It was enough to boggle the mind. Then again, she was quite possibly insane, so she could be just standing there drooling on herself.

He was one of the first people into the hot, stuffy, classroom, and he took his customary seat next to the door. Theo was a firm believer in being able to make a quick exit if necessary.

Keeping an eye out for Trelawney, he pulled the crystal ball to himself, and stared into it intently. It had been misty for him ever since Christmas break, and he had to wonder if perhaps this was due to the fact that while he was so undecided, his mind would simply not focus enough to show him anything.

Peering into it again, he tried to clear his mind, like his grandmother had taught him. Deep breath in… out… in… out… in…. out…..

"_Master Nott." A cruel, high-pitched voice commanded his attention to a snakelike… creature. That was not a man. It was a thing._

"_My Lord?" He responded despite himself, hating the hopeless tone to his voice, hating that he could feel himself bowing towards the thing._

"_Have you succeeded in breaking the Granger girl?" The snake-like thing chuckled in obvious pleasure, his thin, pink tongue sweeping out with a snap to lick at non-existent lips._

_Theo shuddered briefly, before responding, "Not yet, my Lord. She is proving difficult."_

_Those horrible red eyes were focused on him, and he could feel a twinge of pain rush through his leg. The Dark Lord was adept at controlling non-verbal spells such as the Cruciatus to an unheard of degree. _

_Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Theo struggled not to moan in pain. _

Shaking his head as the vision cleared, Theo stared down at the threadbare, red clothe that covered the small table in front of him. Was that his future?

Draco made his way past Parvati Patil into the Divination classroom, his eyes automatically picking Theo out beside the door. He made it a point of generally knowing where Nott was whenever he could. The boy was still an unknown threat.

Vince sat down beside Draco, and buried his large hands in his short, dark hair. "Pansy's decided that she wants me to be as involved as possible in the wedding planning."

Chuckling at the look of horror on his friend's face, Draco responded, "Have fun with that."

"Feck off."

Theo watched Draco and Vince converse, feeling a slight shot of envy at their easy camaraderie. He really didn't feel that with any Slytherins anymore. They were so deeply in Draco and Blaise's camp, and Draco and Blaise were more and more against following the Dark Lord.

He had made it his business to know as much about Malfoy as he could. Know thy enemy, and all of that. Draco was one of the hardest people to read, though. He had the expressionless mask down to a fine art, and it rarely slipped, unless he decided to smirk in cold amusement.

Blaise sauntered into the classroom moments later, and Theo narrowed his eyes at him as well. Blaise was difficult as well, simply because you never quite knew how he felt about anything. Right at that moment, there was a large grin across his face, as if he found something incredibly entertaining.

The class went at a snail's pace from Blaise's perspective. He really hated Divination, and thought it was pointless at the best of times, a scam at the worst, and Trelawney was just this side of completely of her rocker. Her encounters with Umbridge had made her even worse than before.

"Mr. Zabini, have you received your vision?" She asked him dramatically, her eyes peering at him through her large glasses.

He sat back, and put his hands behind his head, smirking, "Oh, I think I saw the Gods last night with a hot little redhead."

"Excuse me?" Trelawney looked at him with bewilderment across her face as the rest laughed. Even Draco's mouth twisted a little.

After the class, Blaise happy that Trelawney's general daze meant that she didn't really give out detention for students being mouthy, made his way to the Great Hall.

Sitting, he made sure that Vince, and Theo were separating him and Draco. Despite their meeting on the pitch earlier, they still were not on great terms.

Automatically, he looked for Ginny's bright head, and found her seated with Padma Patil at the Ravenclaw table, heads bent together in intense conversation. He smiled slightly, knowing that Padma had been avoiding Ginny for whatever reason. They seemed to have worked things out. He knew how much Ginny had missed her friend.

Focusing on his roast beef, he tried to avoid Pansy's eye. Draco had told their friend everything, and she had been trying her best to interfere as much as possible.

"Holy crap, if you three aren't fighting, you're fucking. So melodramatic!" She railed at him in a low voice, glaring at Theo when he glanced over with raised eyebrows, "Unless you have something constructive to contribute to the conversation, I wouldn't say a fucking thing, Nott."

He glanced away dutifully, slightly afraid of Pansy in this type of mood.

"Look, Pansy, I know you make it your business to be a pain in my ass," Blaise said to her good-naturedly, "But my relationships are not really your concern."

"I don't care." She replied stubbornly. "The three of you need to pull your heads out of your arses, and stop pretending that you're guest-starring on Coronation Street."

At his blank look, she clarified, "Muggle soap opera. Very melodramatic. Which I've already called you, but I stand by it."

"You need a good shag." Was the only reply she received.

"Done and done." Vince contributed from down the table, raising his goblet in a toast to Blaise.

Pansy rolled her eyes and continued, "Listen, she needs you. Not just Draco, because Gods' know, he's as emotionally stunted as you are, and together you make a passable, fully-functioning wizard."

"Hey!" Draco called out in mild irritation, leaning around Vince to glare at her. Pansy waved her hand in dismissal, concentrating on the dark-haired male in front of her who simply shrugged.

Conversation among the seventh year Slytherins died out around that point, and Blaise made a point of leaving the hall early for the Prefect meeting that he and Padma were to oversee.

Ginny and Padma made their way down to the meeting, Draco following close behind.

Handing out the new schedule for rounds, Blaise avoided Ginny's bright blue gaze, and Draco's steel one.

As the meeting was adjourned, and the various groups of prefects started making their way out of the room, Blaise caught Ginny's hand, and pulled her back to him. Draco saw, and exchanged a glance, his mind touching Blaise's with a soft caress, _do I need to be there?_

Blaise shook his head, happy at the mental contact that he had been so long without, and for the way that Draco prodded Padma along when she would have stopped to be by Ginny's side.

Ginny watched him with weary eyes, and he let go of her hand to stand in front of her, gazing into her familiar face, the freckles across her nose and cheekbones standing out in stark relief in the paleness of her skin.

"I'm sorry." He stated simply, quietly. "I love you. I want what is best for you. I can't begin to be happy that you might not want our child now, but I want things to be perfect when we, you, me and Draco, have children."

"You hurt me." She stated, moved, but unable to forget his painful words from before, "I just… I don't know Blaise."

"What don't you know?"

"I don't know if I can really… trust you right now. Be around you." Ginny spoke softly, and so honestly that he had little choice but to nod in acquiescence. "I love you too, Blaise, you know that, but I'm… I need to think about my future right now."

"I realize that…" He started to speak, but she shook her head, "I don't really think that you do."

"Ginny…" Blaise tried again, "I am trying."

"I know that." She smiled, and reached out to run a soft hand down his chiseled cheekbone, feeling him shudder at her touch. "I think this is more about me."

"But Gin, the thing is, it's not." He couldn't help but disagree at that point, "That is my or Draco's child growing inside of you as well." Blaise reached out a hand to caress slight bulge of her stomache, still very much disguised by her school uniform.

Ginny drew in a breath, "I know that. But it is also my body."

She backed away from him, gathering up her school back, and heading for the door.

"Ginny, don't leave." He called, walking quickly to catch up with her. She broke into a run, almost desperate to leave the tension behind.

Blaise cursed under his breath, and sped up, needing to talk to her further, needing to be with her.

Ginny ran blindly, knowing that Blaise was following her, needing to be by herself, and knowing that he wouldn't be able to understand that. She made her way to the stairs that would take her down to the main floor, and glanced over her shoulder as she started making her way down them.

Blaise had made his way to the top of the staircase when he saw her foot slip. His heart jumped into his throat as he heard himself scream her name.

"Ginny!" She heard her name being called, but was unable to stop her momentum. Falling, she hit her head, and was forced into a darkness.

Running after her falling body, Blaise was too late to catch her as she fell right to the bottom, landing with a heavy thud on the stone floor below, blood splattering in an obscene pattern around her slight form.

A/N: I was originally going to split this chapter into two, but I felt so bad about how long it had taken me to update, that I decided to leave it as is. Please let me know what you think. I've furthered through about three plot points, which is a lot for a chapter, and so a lot happened.

I know it's an evil place to leave the chapter! I know! And I know that Charlie's little story does not make sense in the larger picture yet, but it will, I promise. I also promise more smut in upcoming chapters, as I know I have been very negligent in that arena.

Yes, Blaise's mom will play a role in this story, she actually makes an appearance outside of memories! I know, shocking. And I have plans for Luna, even though this chapter only briefly mentioned her. I also have some plans for Theo, who I want to develop more as a complex character.

Thank you for reading, and for sticking with this story! There is a lot to come. This story is not even a quarter finished, trust me on this.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Later, she would say it felt like floating. Floating in an endless stream of clouds lined with silver. It was a nice feeling. Nothing hurt, nothing troubled, calm and serene.

George watched his baby sister in the hospital bed, feeling such incredible helplessness. Why did this kind of thing need to happen to her? She had never harmed anyone… well, nobody who hadn't deserved it he amended quickly thinking back to her Bat-Bogey curse.

George pushed his hair behind his ear, determined that first thing the next day, he was going to get it all chopped off.

The hospital wing was dark and silent, and reminded him far too much of all of his Quidditch injuries.

Ginny's bright hair was pulled back from her small, pale face, and she looked so tiny and delicate against the white linens of the bed. George leaned forward and grasped her hand, seeing the blue veins that peeked through the incredibly translucent skin.

After a week, even Madame Pomfrey was starting to look concerned, the expression taking over the normally serene mask that she wore. Ginny would just not wake up.

Feeling the coolness of Ginny's slight hand, George chafed it with his own to instill some warmth, some comfort, "Gin, come on, this is getting ridiculous. No one is this tired! Gods girl, you should have your own bed in here by now given how often you choose to frequent this wing."

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice light and happy, as he had been instructed, "Gin, Mum and Dad have been here. You're lucky you missed that visit." Glancing at the slight swell of her belly which was evident through the thin sheet, he sighed.

"Mum has started knitting clothing for the baby, and Dad looked like he was going to kill Draco and Blaise. The only thing that held him back was the fact that he didn't know which one was the father." George leaned his head forward, bracing his forehead against the side of the bed next to her still arm, "Which was a pretty smart move, considering."

"Fred has been by too… He was so worried Gin. And he's cut all his hair off. He looks like a startled porcupine."

"Charlie's sent you tons of gifts and letters, and Bill and Fleur are planning on coming to see you next week if you're not… better…."

George sat up again, rubbing a hand through his shoulder-length hair, distractedly pulling the leather thong out. It floated to the floor without his noticing.

"Do you remember…" He swallowed awkwardly, feeling his eyes tingle as he kept his gaze on her still, pale face, "Do you remember that time that I told you there were fairies up that huge tree in the back of the house? And you climbed it, fell, and almost bonked your head in? Mum nearly skinned my arse off… Well, I still think you deserved it for telling on me and Fred, but I'm sorry."

"Or, what about that time when you were in first year, and Fred sent Harry that Valentine, and we pretended it was from you? We laughed really hard about that, but I'm sorry for doing it now."

George laughed lightly, the sound seeming unnatural, "Gin, you'd better wake up, you'll never get me to say sorry for these things again!"

"Blaise is in bad shape, Gin. He blames himself. He asked me for forgiveness for not catching you." George thought back on that conversation, and felt the suppressed tear slide down his cheek, leaving a wet and salty trail in its wake. "Draco… well, I can never tell what that man is thinking, but I think he's hurting. He's trying to take care of Blaise, and be with you… and it's hard on him, I can tell."

"Mum won't really allow him to be near you, and that's been difficult. I sneak him in when I can, but McGonagall is on her side. She tends to overlook Blaise though, so I know Blaise is here most nights."

"Gin, wake up. They need you. I need you. Padma needs you. Ever Colin fucking Creevey has been visiting. The baby needs you too. Pomfrey told me it's a girl, and she's hanging on, but she needs you too. Plus, you can name her Georgia."

George talked until he was hoarse, and eventually went silent until he was simply staring at Ginny.

He noticed little things, like the small scar near her hairline from that infamous fall from the tree when she had been five, the gathering of pale gold freckles that were littered across her cheeks and nose and were so much paler than his own. Her hair, dark and red against the white pillow, much darker than the infamous Weasley red.

Padma found him there a few hours later, fast asleep in the uncomfortable chair, still gripping Ginny's slight hand tightly. She hesitated to wake him, wondering if this was the most sleep he'd gotten in weeks.

Wincing as she realized just how much pain his back and neck were going to be in from the position he was currently sprawled in, she shook his shoulder gently, "George?"

He grunted softly, and reached for her blindly, only coming awake when his hands met with air, "Ah, love, did I fall asleep here?"

"Afraid so." She responded softly, wrapping both arms around his shoulders from behind to give him a hug. He let go of Ginny to grip her wrists, before pushing her away to stand up, "Good Gods, I am in pain. Would you still love me if I hobbled like an old man?"

Padma blinked at the word love, but recovered smoothly, "I'd probably push you over for a giggle, quite honestly."

George grinned at her as he stretched his back out slowly, the muscles pulling and straining in protest. "You're too damn soft-hearted love, toughen up a bit, why don't you."

Leaning over to brush a kiss on Ginny's smooth forehead he spoke quietly to Padma of Ginny's unchanged condition.

After a few minutes more of hurried kisses and caresses behind one of the screens in the hospital wing, George left a pink-cheeked Padma to take his place next to Ginny as he left to open the shop in Hogsmeade.

Padma opened her book, and read quietly, her eyes glancing at Ginny from time to time.

--

Charlie was in hell. That was the long and short of it, really. Emily and Keiran were trying to be subtle, he had to give them that, but it was difficult to see someone he loved so much with someone else. Especially when that person was his partner.

Keiran had made the mistake of trying to talk to Charlie about it once, and had come away from the conversation with a black eye for his troubles. The two had since adopted an icily politeness with each other, while Emily stayed away altogether.

Coming home to an empty house was not really all that different. Truthfully, Emily had not spent that much time there, and Charlie reflected bitterly on why that was. He felt like a moron.

He had received George's letter about Ginny just a few days after telling Emily to get out, and that had been incredibly hard. He couldn't leave Romania right now, his dragons needed him. Thinking about his little sister lying there… well, it really tended to put his own life in perspective.

George's letter had been followed closely by a letter from their Mum, almost a howler really, commanding him to come home, and that he better not have known about anything that had been going on, including Ginny's pregnancy. And to think, he had thought that short note about the baby a joke when Ginny had sent it.

He was currently at the one and only pub located in the small town, about a ten minutes walk outside of the reserve. A Muggle place, he hunched over his drink, and tried to blend in with the dark woodwork that decorated the space.

"Hey there." A husky female voice sounded from his elbow, and he looked to the side to see an older, Muggle woman leaning against the bar beside him.

"Hi." He responded shortly, wishing for nothing so much as to be completely alone. It was not to be, however, as she moved closer, smiling at him with shining red lips.

"Are you one of the guys who works in the nature preserve?" Her voice was heavily accented, showing her Romanian roots. He nodded curtly.

"It always looks so beautiful from a distance, all that lush forestry. A shame they don't let campers in." She tried to entreat him into a conversation, and he turned cinnamon eyes to her, "Well, it's environmentally protected, and that would maybe defeat the point."

"I hadn't thought of it that way!" She laughed lightly, and laid a slim, tanned hand on his forearm, her fingers stroking the hard muscles. "Do you come here often? Are you British? I can tell from the way you speak."

"Sometimes." He shrugged non-committaly, and again stared into his rapidly depleting glass.

"You know, I read palms." She leaned closed to his ear, her other hand finding his broad shoulder.

"Really." Generally, that would have caught his interest. His dad had told him about Muggles who fancied that they could read the future and so on. He had always believed it to be codswallop, but it was still fascinating to see where that compulsion came from.

"Oh yes." She breathed, "I'm quite famous. I would love to read your palm…"

"Not tonight." He strove for politeness, but instead it came out as a growl as he hunched his shoulders over the bar. Instead of the woman flouncing away as he had expected at that absolute lack of manners, she instead seemed to gain persistence.

"Come on, honey, I don't bite." She smiled lazily, showing white shining teeth, "That generally comes later."

Charlie shook his head resolutely in response.

Many, many drinks later, some of which tasted something like firewhisky, he was kissing her frantically as she led him up to her apartment which was perched on top of the pub, conveniently.

Urgently, he tugged at her clothing, the buttons alluding him in his inebriated state. Her husky laughter sounded again as she helped, her hands steady against his own, "Careful there."

Finally baring small breasts topped with dark pink-brown nipples, he fell upon them, his mouth moving frantically. The woman sighed, and threw her head back in pleasure as his teeth scraped against the sensitive skin there.

Moving so that he was behind her, Charlie bit the side of her neck almost savagely while holding her long hair out of his way. His other hand reached down her slacks to find smoothness where he had expected curls. Fingers moving rapidly now, he felt the moisture even lower, and tweaked the small button of flesh there.

The woman moaned, arching her neck to allow him even greater access to the skin there, moving her hips against his hand to achieve the friction that she so desperately desired.

Pulling her pants off decisively, Charlie spun her around, a hand on her shoulder pushing her down to her knees. She looked up at him as she unzipped his denim pants, reaching with two greedy hand for the flesh hidden within.

Charlie groaned loudly, spearing his fingers into her hair as she took him into her mouth. He rocked against her violently, but she seemed not to notice as she worked her tongue against his length.

--

Blaise watched Ginny, her chest barely moving with her breathing. She was so pale….

"Hey Gin." He spoke quietly, trying to think about how Pomfrey had said that she could hear them, if not able to respond. It seemed a little unlikely. "I miss you. It's pretty boring without you yelling at me, or teasing me… Draco's a bloody nuisance, let me tell you."

"Your Mum's pretty spare too… I honestly think now that you turned out a lot more normal than you should have. She has some sort of dislike for Draco, and she won't let him in here if she's around." His lips twitched a little as he remembered the last confrontation between the autocratic blond and the Weasley matriarch.

"Your Dad is a nice fellow, well, after he stopped threatening Draco and I, that is. Then he started telling me about electrically, and I just got a little confused. He seemed to appreciate the audience though."

"I met Mara, Fred's fiancé. She's nice, but… I'm not sure, I don't think I really like her. She seems to make your brother happy though, so what do I know?"

"George is… well, you know he's upset. He's in here more than anyone, save Draco and I."

Blaise breathed slowly, rubbing his scars distractedly, feeling the raised edges with his finger-tips.

"Draco yelled at me a couple of days ago. Said I needed to stop drowning in self-pity, and to, and I quote, "get some fucking balls". I must say, it sounded like one of your expressions, Gin. I think you've rubbed off on him."

He looked around the hospital wing, taking in the screens, and the sound of the first year in the corner who was re-growing the bones in his leg after a spell gone wrong in some class.

"I don't think we've ever talked about what I want to do after leaving Hogwarts. Well, I know that you know about Zabini Industries, but I don't really have an interest in that. I just don't want my mother to be in charge of my father's company anymore." He shuddered, thinking of the woman who had given him birth, "She's done some things to the company that I don't agree with, and as soon as I leave school, I'm pushing her out. I don't want to stay with the company though… I don't think I'm quite cut out for the office world."

"The baby is growing…." He trailed off looking at her stomache before placing a protective hand on the slight bulge, "You can actually see it. I would call you fat, if I didn't think you'd wake up just to punch me.

I don't know what to think about the baby, actually. I know how undecided you were about this, and so I don't know whether I should be happy or not." Blaise rubbed his hand in gentle circles, his eyes watching as he rucked the fabric across her abdomen slightly, "It feels like being in limbo, waiting for you to wake up."

"Gin, I'm so sorry." He gulped, trying to control himself, "I'm supposed to be the one to catch you, and I missed. I'm sorry."

Sighing at the continued lack of response, Blaise stood, and crawled into the bed beside her prone form, gathering her close. As his eyes shut, Blaise allowed himself to feel a surge of optimism that it would all be okay.

Draco, after ascertaining that Mrs. Weasley had gone home hours earlier, made his way into the Hospital Wing to take his turn with Ginny.

His shoulders drooped slightly, uncharacteristically, as he thought back on the last couple of weeks. It was rather stressful for him, and he wasn't really able to show what he was thinking, even to Blaise, as Blaise needed him to be strong.

Standing for a moment staring at the scene in front of him, Draco's features softened minutely. Blaise was sleeping completely wrapped around Ginny's much smaller frame. It looked like… like any other morning, like nothing had happened, like Ginny was simply sleeping.

"What are you doing here?" A voice asked from behind him, the familiar tone making Draco wince. He turned to see Mrs. Weasley storming in with her knitting, glaring at him.

Holding his hands out in an innocent gesture, he tried to keep his voice low so as not to disturb Blaise, "Mrs. Weasley, I assure you, I mean no harm."

"No harm?" She snorted as her arms crossed across her ample bosom, cheeks flashing red with indignation. "My baby is pregnant at sixteen, and in a coma while still in school, all thanks to you. Why don't you leave her alone?"

"Mrs. Weasley," Draco ground out, his irritation pressing him to show this woman the same level of disrespect that she was showing him. Only the thought of Ginny's reaction was enough to keep him in check, "I know that you are upset, as we all are, but getting angry at me is not going to do anything."

Molly Weasley stared at the young man who was looking down at her with such a haughty, aristocratic look on his pale face, that she longed to smack him. "Get out. You are not welcome here."

"You can not keep me away." He spoke quietly, softly even, but with such a natural air of confidence and superiority that Molly almost nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I can." She smiled triumphantly, "Ginny is still underage, and she is still under our care. You are not come back here, and I shall be taking this up with Headmistress McGonagall."

"What do you think is going to happen when Ginny wakes up?" He challenged her, his voice low and even, staring into her face, "What do you think my role is in that baby's life?"

"None if I have anything to do with it. My Ginny can do so much better than a Malfoy."

Not wishing to create a scene that he may regret later, Draco swept out of the room, his eyes a steely grey in the morning light.

Making his way to the Slytherin common room, Draco threw himself into a large leather chair in the corner, staring moodily out the window that was magicked to look out onto the Forbidden Forest, despite being several hundred meters underground.

"Kicked out of Ginny's room again?" Pansy asked, sympathy lacing her voice as she settled into the couch beside him, Greg spread out on the matching couch across the room.

"Yes." Draco answered shortly, still seething over Ginny's mother's treatment of him.

"Well, I'll go look in on her in a little bit. Mrs. Weasley doesn't know who I am." Pansy sought to reassure him, "And Padma will definitely be there soon. I haven't really seen Blaise since last night though."

"He's with her right now."

"And Mrs. Weasley didn't have a problem with that?" Greg asked in amazement, Draco and Pansy glancing over at him with surprise as he had seemed to be deeply asleep just a minute prior.

"No." Draco responded, "She likes Blaise. She just hates the fact that I'm a Malfoy, and I would assume that Ron Weasley, Potter, and Granger would not have helped my case in the past."

"Rough." Pansy commiserated, turning around as Vince entered the room, taking the seat beside her. She smiled at him as he wrapped one beefy around her tightly.

Draco dropped his bright head back to rest against the top of the chair, and closed his eyes. He was so tired…

Because of Ginny's mother, he had taken to visiting Ginny mostly at night, plus he was still attending classes faithfully, plus he had to be there for Blaise. His eyes burned with the lack of sleep.

--

Luna watched Theo covertly across the Great Hall. He was up to something, she would bet her left shoe on it. She narrowed her eyes, spooning her French onion soup up without really watching what she was doing.

"Are you going to visit Ginny later?" Padma asked politely as she sat down across from her housemate, leaning forward to help herself to the pumpkin juice in a large jug that sat in the middle of the table.

"Probably tomorrow. I know that Blaise is going to be spending the night in there with Draco." Luna answered absently, barely glancing at the older girl. Padma gave her an odd look, before turning her attention to Cho Chang who had tapped her shoulder.

Noticing how her hair was trailing through her dinner, Luna pulled it back into a loose knot at the nape of her neck, and took a bite of her dinner roll.

It had not escaped her notice that since the dementor's attack on the Ministry, he had been even more withdrawn, more weary. He knew something about it, and she wondered just how much his father had been involved, and what else he knew about due to his father's friendliness with Lord Voldemort.

She watched as he spoke briefly to Goyle, before standing, and moving toward the large door that led to the hallway. Luna shoved her plate away and quickly moved to follow him out.

Wandering through the hallways, Luna walked lightly, making sure to keep quite a ways back from him, hoping that he was thick enough to assume that her amateurish attempts to track him were really stupid mice scurrying around.

Rounding another corner, the candlelight dark against the stone walls, Luna stopped in her tracks as she realized that Theo was no where to be seen.

"Merlin's knickers." She muttered, sweeping the fallen tendrils of hair out of her eyes. Turning, she tried to think of where exactly in the bowels of the castle she was. Trudging back the way she had come, Luna fingered her butterbeer cork necklace.

Hearing a rustling behind her, she whipped around to see… nothing. Luna narrowed her eyes, and darted forward with her arms outstretched. Nope, nothing.

Spinning back around, she picked up her pace as she made her way back to her dormitory. Sincerely feeling like she was being watched, she checked over her shoulder so often, it felt like she was developing a tick.

Getting ready for bed that evening, Luna changed into her white nightgown, and brushed her long silvery-blonde hair almost compulsively as she surveyed her schedule for the next day.

Her homework had been done for almost a week, she had her quill plus two extras just in case of breaks, extra parchment, and all of the textbooks that she would need were shrunken down so that she would be able to carry her bag with the minimum of strain.

Washing her face, and braiding her hair completed her routine. Luna arranged herself beneath her covers, and shut the drapes. Holding her slender wand, she quickly cast _silencio _and _isolosium_ to guard against the inquisitive, and sometimes cruel nature of her roommates. It was the only way that they would leave her alone for the amount of time she needed to sleep.

Her dreamy blue eyes were just closing to drift off to sleep, when she heard a low voice, tinged with amusement, drawl, "You know, I've never been in the Ravenclaw dorms."

Luna sat up with a shriek as Theo pulled the invisibility cloak off to smirk at her darkly.

She moved so that she was kneeling at the foot of the bed, far away from his lounging form, and yelled at him, "What the fuck are you doing in my bed?"

"Well," He started, folding his arms behind his head, indolently amused at her expense, "You followed me, so I thought we were playing some sort of game."

Luna laid a slim hand across her heart, trying to prevent the heart attack that she knew she had narrowly avoided, "It wasn't some sort of invitation!"

"What, so only my privacy may be invaded? There's a double standard here, isn't there?" He crossed his legs, and she glared at him for looking so hatefully at ease in her bed.

Wondering briefly at her feelings, Luna decided that she was more angry than frightened or upset, despite the suspected Death Eater relations.

"Get out!" She pointed to the side of the bed, her eyes narrowed to blue slits.

"No." He grinned at her, his mahogany hair falling across his forehead. "I find it rather comfortable in here. Plus, watching your roommates get changed, well, good times."

"You're a perv."

"Seventeen year old male."

"Same thing."

Luna was momentarily stumped. He wasn't doing anything, but he wasn't leaving. In fact, he looked ready to sleep.

"You look like a ghost in that nightgown." Theo remarked, taking in how the long white material completely hid her body from his curious gaze.

"You sneak into my house, into my bed, and then proceed to make fun of my nightclothes?" Luna looked at him in amazement, folding her legs under herself, carefully making sure the nightgown was covering every inch of exposed flesh.

"Well, it's pretty obvious that you have decided that you never want to get shagged." He closed his eyes.

Luna gritted her teeth, "Do you even know my name? We have never talked."

"Then why were you following me?" Theo opened his eyes to watch her curiously, "Why are you always watching? I think you see more than you let others think, buttercup."

"Fine, I'm leaving." Luna decided, started to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

"S'ok with me." He replied drowsily, "Your roommates might find it a little interesting that you have a man in your bed."

She whipped around to face him again, "Boy."

"Excuse me?" He glanced at her curiously, taken aback by the strange answer.

"Not a man. A boy." She clarified.

Theo grinned, truly amused now. He had followed her simply on a whim, but now he was intrigued. "Oh buttercup, come over here, take off the circus tent, and I will show you just how much of a man I really am."

Luna rolled her eyes, and parted the drapes slightly to peek out at the dorm, which was still alight, and filled with laughter, and talking. No one glanced in her direction, but Luna was sure that Theo would not go unnoticed.

Despite the image that she had carefully cultivated for herself, this was a little beyond what she wanted. The gossip, dear Gods, the gossip.

There was only one thing to do.

She slowly turned back around, closing the drape carefully, to see Theo seemingly asleep, stretched out with his head on her pillow. Her special, down-filled pillow that her father had bought her in her first year.

Reaching out, she grabbed the edge of the pillow, and tugged hard. Theo yelped as his head suddenly hit the headboard, and he opened his eyes to see Luna curling up on the opposite side of the bed, her slender back to him.

"If you touch me at any point, you will find your Hampton no longer quite so friendly with your body." She remarked mildly.

Feeling lighter than he had in… well, years, Theo grinned, a true grin, with none of the sadistic pleasure that his facial expressions usually held. He was right to be intrigued about this bird.

Thinking that she would never fall asleep with the strange male in her bed, Luna fell asleep almost right away.

Theo stared at the back of her head, noticing when her breathing evened out to sleep. He was amazed. No girl had ever fallen asleep on him. And without even playing with his happy parts. It was slightly disheartening.

Smiling slightly, he rolled over to press against her back. Running one hand down over her slim curves, he grabbed a handful of her nightgown, and pulled it up slowly. Leaving it bunched at the top of her thighs, he took in the pale length of her legs, the flawless skin shining in the dark.

Almost mesmerized by the sight, he trailed his finger tips along her legs, seeing for himself if they were as silky as they looked. She had beautiful legs.

Theo traced the skin of her upper thigh, and had to wonder if she was that smooth everywhere else. Something within him rebelled against the thought of finding out while she was asleep, however. He tended to like his women conscious. Just one of many differences between him and his father.

He loved her legs though. Trying hard not to think about what they would feel like wrapped around him, he closed his eyes. She smelled like roses.

Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, and dropped onto his back to see if he could possibly get some sleep.

This was not quite how he had anticipated spending his evening, but it beat the shit out of lying in an all-male dorm listening to Vince and Greg's bodily functions, and occasionally Pansy's moaning when Vince forget _silencio_. That was often very traumatizing, having grown up with Pansy as a mildly annoying sister-type. At least Blaise and Draco spent their nights in Blaise's room. That was generally just disturbing to think about.

Luna woke up halfway through the night, disoriented and a little bit too warm, to find herself wrapped around another body. Well, specifically, that body was wrapped around her like a favourite stuffed animal. Sleepily, she lifted her head to see two male arms wrapped around her shoulders and stomache respectfully, and a leg thrown over her thighs.

Falling back to sleep, she reflected that that seemed slightly strange.

--

Ginny felt as though she were drowning. She could distantly hear voices… Blaise, Draco, her mum, her dad… George, Padma… it was confusing.

She felt so strange… as if her body was not her own, as if her limbs would not answer to her. Occasionally, she felt the greatest need to cry, and was astonished when she couldn't. The best times were when she could feel Blaise or Draco near, especially when they were touching her. The worst were when she could hear people yelling at one another.

Sighing to herself, she wondered what was going on.

Draco was talking now… he was talking in a low, calm voice, and Ginny felt soothed by it. Her mum was often on the point of hysterics when she visited, and seemed to hover, while Draco was just so calming.

"I'm writing my first N.E.W.T. next week, Gin. Studying is going… well. I have to say, I don't know how ready I am for Charms, but here's hoping. I doubt Malfoy Industries is going to care a whit about if I get 7 or 8 N.E.W.T.s, really."

Ginny wished that she could remark on what a poor little rich boy he was, but her mouth did not feel like cooperating. Instead, she listened on.

"Your mum is slightly frightening, but I'm sure you know that. She seems not to hold great love for me, which I can't really understand. She wasn't even swayed by my legendary good looks!"

Ginny snorted to herself, wanting to smack his arm.

"I don't know if I ever told you about my dad… I don't know if this is the time, but I've been thinking about him lately." Draco sighed, resting his forehead on the side of the bed to Ginny's right. "I know what he did to you in your first year, and you never talk about it, but I know it pains you. I never forgave him for that, even at the time.

My father… was unforgivable in a lot of ways. He never beat me, he never touched me at all, in fact. I can't remember a hug, a pat on the shoulder, nothing. He just never seemed to want human contact, even with my mother.

It was as if he was unable to get over his pride, his breeding, enough to realize that a hug does not make one weak. Looking back, I think of that aspect of his personality with pity."

Draco sat back up, brushing his hair out of his eyes, watching Ginny's face intently for any evidence of a reaction.

"I doubt that he ever felt pity, ever felt regret. That just was not part of his makeup. My mum had her own issues. I was more of an afterthought. Oh, she loved me… She just had a lot of other things… still does, in fact.

My father was a rather intimate associate of Lord Voldemort, which I believe is common knowledge, and he displeased the man by giving that diary to you, as well as other actions that were thwarted by Potter.

So, he ended up in Azkaban. I can't tell you whether I felt too disheartened about that. In a lot of ways, it was a kind of relief for me. He wasn't there anymore to… well, like I said, he doesn't know forgiveness. He also has no room for anything other than perfection. His master, though, eventually broke him out. And he came home."

Draco took a shuddering breath, concentrating on sticking with telling his story.

"This was after Dumbledore… well, I'll tell you about that later. My father was not pleased, which would be a nice way of putting that. He came home to a wife who had blossomed without his overbearing presence, and a son who had failed, and had to be saved.

When I said that he had never touched me in anger, that did not apply to my mother. He seemed to take great relish in 'punishing' her for the slightest offence. He would never touch her face though. He seemed to revere her beauty, or more to the point, what her beauty represented, and would never seek to mar that. Everything else though, was fair game. I remember her back and arms being riddled with long reddened bruises from that cane.

This time was different though. After finishing with her, he came after me. He had a chance to hit me twice before my mother took one of her heavy heirloom Black family vases, and cracked him over the back of his head.

Even in death, he looked disbelieving. He had never believed that my mother would ever fight back."

Draco leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. He relished that look on his father's face, to be completely honest with himself.

"My mother is now a pretty frequent guest at St. Mungo's for her mental health, but after all the years she spent with him, it's pretty understandable."

Ginny ached to reach out to him, to hold him, but she couldn't. She was so incredibly frustrated with herself, and could feel herself helplessly slipping away again until she could no longer hear what Draco was saying at all.

When she next regained a sense of herself, George was talking. She always loved listening to George talk… he could express himself in so many ways, so well.

"So, our new line of feminine fun has been incredibly popular. I would offer to give you a few selections for free, but well, you're my sister, and that's creepy. Instead, I gave Padma a couple, and I thought she was going to ask me to marry her."

Ginny slipped away again at that point, getting more and more upset with herself that she couldn't control it.

George was still sitting beside Ginny sometime later when she started to convulse. She was shaking violently, and he jumped up in alarm, "Ginny!"

Laying his hands on her shoulders to try to keep her from hurting herself, he turned his head to yell, "Madame Pomfrey!"

From there, it was a flurry of activity, and George got out of the way. Ginny had started to bleed, and it was everywhere.

He had no idea what to do… Knowing he should go and find Blaise and Draco, but unwilling to leave Ginny, he was torn.

Luna happened to be wandering past the hospital wing in a slight daze, when she saw what was going on, and ran for Slytherin.

Colliding with Theo on her way to the dungeons, she whirled around and kept going, ignoring him shouting after her.

By the time the two Slytherins had made their way back, Ginny had stopped convulsing, and was laying still and pale again.

"The bleeding has stopped, but she's losing the baby." Madame Pomfrey spoke quietly, glancing back at her patient as she walked to face Blaise and Draco who were looking at her with almost identical expressions of disbelief and pain. "I've given her a blood replenishing potion, but there's not much I can do for the baby. The mother's womb protects it too much for my magic to penetrate it, and she's not far enough along that if she miscarries anything can be done after it leaves the womb."

"She." Blaise interrupted blankly, "The baby is a girl." Pomfrey looked at him with sympathy.

George stayed by Ginny's side, holding her hand almost desperately. She still had not woken up, and it was incredible that her body had gone through so much without gaining consciousness.

"Ginny should be fine, eventually, but the next few hours are going to be really rough." Pomfrey concluded before heading off to confer with the Headmistress.

--

Luna was skipping through the hall on her way to supper, when a hand reached out and pulled her into a classroom. Yelping, and whipped around with her fist raised was her response.

Theo thanked his fast reaction time in allowing him to reach out and catch her wrist before her hand made contact with his chin.

Staring into the dark chocolate eyes over him holding onto her, Luna was aware dimly that she was breathing heavily from the shock.

"Why did you rush by me earlier?" He asked mildly, tugging her arm forward so that she landed against his chest. They were almost exactly the same height he realized as he watched her large blue eyes and pale face.

"I, uh…" She trailed off. He reminded her somewhat of a hungry shark the way that he was looking at her. No one had ever looked at her like that.

Theo let go of her wrist to move his hands down to her waist, pulling her up tight. His eyes shifted to her pale pink lips. She nervously ran the tip of her tongue across her lower lip, and he almost groaned as he saw that.

"You need to let go of me." Her voice was slightly shaky, but she felt that it would do. It backfired.

Theo let go, his arms at his sides, "Fine."

They stood like that for a long moment, staring at each other, before Luna reached out and grabbed the front of his school uniform to pull him close, settling her mouth onto his determinedly.

Theo stood stalk-still without responding for a time, before realizing that a very cute girl had her tongue down his throat. Spearing his fingers into her silky hair, he angled her head to gain even better access.

Luna pulled back after what felt like forever, her lips red and swollen, breathing heavily and staring at him. "What the hell are we doing?"

"If you need to ask, I am definitely doing something wrong." He smirked, and leaned in again, his hands moving to the small of her back, arching her towards him. Tilting her lips away so that she could talk, Luna gasped as his lips found her jaw, "Nott, this can't happen."

"Hmm…" As he trailed his lips down the side of her neck, finding all of the sensitive places, and he gently nibbled on the soft skin where her neck connected to her shoulder.

Author's Note: Ahhhhhh…. This chapter was hard to write. This is how I planned this story, except Theo and Luna, so I think I bowed to reviewers who seemed to like the idea of the two together (I'm looking at you Kelly!).

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, it's been awesome to read what you think. Please enjoy this latest entry!! - Fin


	7. Chapter 7

WARNING: Explicit sexual content.

Chapter 7:

Ginny sat in the window seat of the Gryffindor sixth year girl's dorm, and stared out at the rain pouring down outside. It was a miserable night.

She had lost the baby. Lost. That word was so misleading. It made her sound so careless. She had miscarried the baby. That word didn't sound harsh enough. The baby had died within her.

Wiping a tear away, she tried to focus her mind on the remedial classes she was taking to offset the time that she had spent in the Hospital Wing. It was rather exhausting, and left little room for anything else in her life at the moment, which was exactly what she had needed. She didn't want to think, didn't want to feel.

Her knees hugged to her chest, she laid her head down on top and tried to see if she could find Hagrid's hut through all of the rain and darkness. Nothing. Well, winter was quite officially over. April had come with a vengeance.

The worst part was, was that she had not known what she had wanted to do with the baby in the first place, but now that it was gone, she was devastated. And she felt so damn guilty about that.

Okay, Slughorn wanted five inches on the uses for erumpent horn, McGonagall wanted her to write a makeup test on turning mammals into different mammals, Sprout had decided that she was to take care of a plant that Ginny could not remember the name of for the life of her for the rest of the year, Trelawney… fuck it, Trelawney probably would not remember come morning herself.

School was not what she wanted to think about, but she had decided that it was her only way out. Her mum was already talking about Ginny coming home to live with them for the year, and possibly attending Beauxbaton's the next year. She had to prove just how well she could do, even with the miscarriage hanging over her head.

Running a hand through her hair, she encountered a particularly nasty knot near the elastic holding her hair back and she grimaced. Taking care of herself was taking a backseat to everything else, and seemed to be a little beyond her at this point.

Ellie, one of her roommates, trod carefully into the room, quite aware that Ginny was sitting there through the dinner hour alone. "You okay Ginny?"

"Yes, thank you." Ginny smiled remotely, politely, not turning her head from the window.

"Uh, fine then." Ellie grabbed her jumper, and left, checking back to see if the youngest Weasley had moved at all. Nope.

She was cold, which was strange as she was wearing so many layers. It had settled into her bones though, and nothing she could do would change that.

Her face felt so tight, so dry. She felt so guilty… and upset, and cold.

"Ginny?" A soft voice sounded from her doorway. George. He came about once a day.

"Hello." Again, that awful politeness that she could not seem to overcome, not that she really tried. Ginny sighed, she was irritating even herself at this point.

"So, you've been up and about for what, almost a month… have you even done anything besides school, and sleep? And… eat?" George eyed her, the slim curves more pronounced than he had ever seen her.

"That's nice." She still hadn't looked at him. George sighed and sat down beside her, tugging on one of her ankles playfully through the thick woolen sock.

"Gin, this is crazy. You can't spend the rest of your life hiding." He tried to stare at her, but Ginny refused to look away from the window. Silence.

"Have you even spoken to Blaise or Draco?"

Silence.

"They miss you. You seem to have perfected the invisibility act."

Silence.

"Padma misses you too."

Silence.

"The weird blonde chick even asked me about you."

Silence.

"Well, this has been lovely." George looked around the dorm room, "When do all of the sixteen year old girls come in and have a pillow fight? I've heard that that happens frequently."

Silence.

"Mum keeps owling me about you because I've disabled the floo connection at my apartment. Please owl her at some point, or she will show up, and start packing you up to leave."

Silence.

"Cripes, when you decide that you don't want to talk to anyone, you are fucking stubborn about it." George got up, and glared at her one last time before turning to leave.

"Goodnight." Again polite, again remote.

Deciding it was time to have a shower, Ginny made her way slowly to the communal washroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she barely recognized herself. Her face had taken on a pudgy, unhealthy look, the skin drawn and unnaturally pale. Her eyes were too bright, and she blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the incredible sadness there.

With the water beating down on her, Ginny leaned her head against the tiled wall, feeling incredibly exhausted, old beyond her years. Why did she feel like this? She could see herself pushing everyone away, but she couldn't stop herself. She honestly did not want anyone near her right now.

Blaise and Draco… well…. She tried not to think about them at all.

Tilting her head slightly to look out over the whole of the large bathroom, she noticed how incredibly quiet it as without her roommates.

Ginny stayed in the shower until she felt suspiciously like a drowned rat, before stepping out, and toweling herself off roughly. Combing through her hair, she winced as she pulled at the tangles almost savagely. Everything seemed to hurt.

Pulling on a pair of Charlie's hand-me-down pajamas, she tried to think about whether she had any homework that she hadn't done, but her mind drew a complete blank.

Her bed felt too big, too lonely, but it was almost as if she deserved that. Curling her legs close to her body in the fetal position, Ginny tried to ignore the tears that trailed down her cheeks.

--

Charlie walked across the dragon compound that he no longer had any true passion for. It felt very strange not to feel strongly about this place, but he felt like he had perhaps moved on.

Emily kept giving him these pitiful, pouting looks every time he saw her, and honestly, he was confused about the whole situation. Kieran had just managed to stay out of his way, since their last run-in had resulted in a black eye for the other man, and it was rather remarkable considering they were supposed to be partners.

It was time for a change, and strangely, he didn't feel as if leaving would be akin to him running away.

He had received an owl while he and Emily were still together, and at the time, he had not given it much attention, as he was happy and settled… but now?

As he walked home later that night, Charlie reflected on the state of his life. He did not really want to remain at the Romanian dragon reserve any longer, he had to admit. While still enjoying the dragons, he had become weary of the bureaucracy that infringed so heavily on what he did, and he also hated the idea of seeing Emily and Keiran together.

So far, they had seemed to make an effort to be sensitive to him, but he knew eventually they would be a fully-fledged couple, and he truly did not want to be around to see that. It was definitely time to make some changes in his life.

He slowly put together a dinner of beans on toast, which was about the extent of his cooking abilities, and sat down to read his post. His mum had sent another owl about Ginny, and while he was relieved to read about an update, it was still strange that he had not heard from his sister himself. His owls had all gone unanswered.

Pulling the envelope from his desk where he had stuffed it months earlier, he smiled at the familiar logo, it dragging him back to when he was eleven and had received his letter of acceptance to Hogwarts.

Charlie slipped the piece of parchment out, and smoothed it out on the table beside his mildly pathetic meal.

_To Mr. Charles Weasley,_

_At the close of this school year, Professor Rubeus Hagrid will be retiring from his post teaching the Care of Magical Animals class at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He has recommended you as a prospective replacement, citing your top marks in the relevant courses, as well as your experience with various creatures._

_Please consider this an offer of employment, conditional on your completion of a short training period with Professor Hagrid starting at the end of June this year._

_We require a response to this offer before May 30 in order to organize the next year's courses._

_Regards,_

_M. McGonagall_

_Professor Minerva McGonagall_

_Acting Headmistress_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

He had never thought of returning to Hogwarts in such a capacity… or at all really.

What would it be like to be a Professor at his former school? Strange. But it would definitely be a change. He started smiling. This could be great, exactly what he was looking for. Deciding to go talk to the Director first thing the next day, he started making plans about moving back to England.

He then started writing a letter to send to Ginny, even though she had not written him in weeks.

_Hi Ginbug,_

_I have received an interesting offer, which I wish I could tell you about, but I think I should wait until things are more set in stone. Needless to say, I might be moving back to England. _

_I hope you're well. Mum's been writing me pretty constantly, she's worried about you. You should probably owl her before she shows up at Hogwarts. _

_I know about the baby. I don't know what anyone else has said to you, but these things happen. No one is to blame. Please trust me on this. _

_The dragons here have a hard time conceiving, and more than half the time they will miscarry within a month. It's always difficult for the mothers, as well as the fathers, and you always feel their pain because they project it to their keepers. _

_I know right now you're rolling your eyes, and cursing out your insensitive brother for comparing you to a large lizard, but keep in mind that I am trying to make you feel better._

_I will owl you when I have more information, but I do hope to hear from you before then._

_Love, Charlie_

_P.S. If you don't write me back, I will contact Mum and mention just how much you miss home. _

He handed the letter off to his tawny owl, Mira, and gave her a treat as she pecked his finger affectionately.

Settling down for the evening with some paperwork that he needed to have done, he cheered himself with a glass of pumpkin juice in the mirror situated across the room.

In the reserve, rumours spread quickly, and by the time he had left the Director's office, having handed in a letter that nullified his employment contract, he got stopped at least twice on his way home by well-wishers and the curious.

Charlie honestly couldn't stop smiling. He kept imagining himself back at Hogwarts, and found that he was looking forward to this new opportunity. It was exciting.

--

Fred looked up from the store records as George came in, fresh back from another visit with their sister.

"How is she?" He asked, almost needlessly, as he could see from his brother's face that there was no change.

George shrugged and poured himself a cup of the coffee that was ice cold until he tapped it with his wand and muttered a quick warming spell.

"Liam just sent us the numbers for the Hogsmeade store, and it's looking pretty good." Fred decided talking about work might be helpful at this point.

"Yeah, I've been spending a lot of time up there, it's pretty popular, and not just with Hogwarts students, but with the locals too. I think we may want to expand to children's toys too, as the population up there seems to be exploding a little, a lot of children and families." George leaned over Fred to look at the figures, tapping his wand here and there to update them slightly for his brother.

"Sounds like a plan. Mara taught Muggle pre-school for awhile, she might have some ideas."

"Perfect." George picked up one of their new breed of pygmy puff, absent-mindedly stroking the soft fur, smiling as it purred at him.

Fred ruffled his short hair, glancing at George's own shoulder-length locks wistfully. Mara preferred his hair short, but it still felt weird to look so different from his twin. "Listen, let's head to the Leaky Cauldron for some lunch. I'm starving."

Settling themselves at an empty table, the Weasley twins looked around to see if there was anyone there that they knew. Lee Jordan had taken a part-time job to supplement his income from being a professional Quidditch commentator, but he did not appear to be there right at that moment.

"Did you hear Morin has transferred to the Canons? They might have a chance of actually winning a match this year, much to Ron's delight." Fred remarked brightly, digging into the huge plate of chips that were set in front of him.

"I still think Puddlemere is going to come out on top. I'm looking forward to the Worlds though… do you want to get tickets? We'll get some mates together, it should be fun."

"Maybe." Fred winced, "I'm not quite sure what's happening with the wedding. Mara keeps changing the date. I think I'm this close to talking her into just going away and eloping."

"Does that mean I don't have to wear dress robes?" George caught on to that idea with great relief in his eyes, "if so, I am fully behind that idea."

"If I have to wear dress robes, so do you, mate." Fred motioned to him with his fork, and from there, the conversation was lost as the two nineteen year old boys inhaled their food.

George swallowed the last bite, and then remembered something his Dad had mentioned last time he had seen him, "Hey Fred, did I tell you what Dad said?"

"If it's about a CD player, I am way ahead of you."

"No. He said there were some rumours floating around the Ministry about what Harry, Ron, and Hermione were up to. After that attack a few months ago, people have been getting bolder with speaking out. It's pretty incredible."

"I always thought they were a bunch of pussies."

"Wow, am I glad Padma wasn't there for that little comment."

"You're whipped."

"I'm okay with it." George grinned, before his face became solemn once again, "I'm honestly getting worried about the trio. They could barely sneak around Hogwarts, and yet they're supposed to save the world?"

"I know what you mean." Fred shook his head in commiseration, "Do you remember them in second year, sneaking around to the Restricted Section and all that, looking up Nicholas Flammel? And all they had was the invisibility cloak. It was lazy, that's what it was."

"Well, they were in their first year…"

"No excuse. Remember our first year?" They smiled identical smiles, reminiscing about that year that began it all at Hogwarts.

"Remember the seventh year girl's dorm?"

"Remember the Slytherin Quidditch team in second year?"

"Remember putting pink hair dye in Malfoy's shampoo?"

"I still don't feel bad about that, even considering his relationship with our baby sister. Actually, considering that relationship, I think we may have to do that again."

"We might want to think about pouring an impotence potion into his pumpkin juice, considering that same relationship."

"I concur. The randy bastard… him and that Zabini fellow."

"Well, Blaise is pretty nice, and he plays practical jokes on Padma that make me laugh."

"Get me pictures."

"Done."

--

Padma was determined. Bound and determined. Ginny's situation had thrown off her mission, but it was time to get back on track.

Padma was going to have sex.

There was no way she was leaving Hogwarts without remedying that little bit of membrane that separated her from being an ex-virgin. If she had to tie down George, it would get done. Actually, that wasn't a bad idea… it was kind of hot when she thought about it.

Fuck, now she was horny. There were only so many things her fingers could do. She had realized that very early on in her relationship with George.

Besides the time when Ginny had interrupted them to tell her that she was pregnant, she and George had only gotten once to the fully naked point, and that had been interrupted by a Ravenclaw first year banging on her door to ask her to come break up a fight that was happening between two third years. She still cursed that first year for that.

Borrowing a very slinky, very short dark red negligee from Lavender, Padma arranged herself across her bed, awaiting George's arrival. She was actually vaguely uncomfortable, and eagerly anticipating his arrival just so that she could move from the provocative pose.

"Padma?" Blaise's head appeared in the fireplace, and she yelped while trying to pull the pillow in front of her to hide the skimpy outfit. "Blaise!"

"Wow…. Is that how you spend your free time?" His eyes wide, he stepped through the fireplace to stand, staring down at her. "I need to make a note to drop in more often. I'm sure Ginny and Draco wouldn't mind… they'd actually probably egg me on."

"Blaise, get out." He could actually hear her teeth grinding as she spoke.

"Not yet, I wanted to talk to you about Ginny."

"Fine!" Knowing when she was beat, and that this was important, Padma twirled her finger to get him to turn away. He did so, smirking, as she climbed off the bed, and stomped to her bathroom to grab her large terrycloth robe.

Blaise made himself comfortable in the lounge chair beside the fire, noting all of the similarities to his own Head Boy room.

Stomping back into the room, Padma settled into the chair across from him, folding her arms across her chest, and glaring at him.

"Wow. You make a lot of noise." Was his only response.

She arched a dark eyebrow at him.

"Like an elephant." He expanded.

Sighing with irritation, Padma looked away briefly, bringing her temper under control, before turning back to him, "You wanted to talk?"

"I do." He nodded, and stared into the fire, not quite knowing where to start. "Ginny's cut herself off."

"I noticed." Padma's features softened, and she looked at his profile, trying to figure out how he was feeling.

"She's barely seen Draco or I, she hasn't said a word to either of us. I'm trying to give her space, but Padma, it's so hard." He turned to her, his navy blue eyes full of pain. "That was our baby too…"

She leaned forward, lightly placing a slim brown hand on his arm, "Blaise, people grieve in different ways… she's in pain."

"I know." Blaise stared at his fingers, willing himself to keep it together. Where was the Slytherin in him when he needed it? "But we need her too… And I'm sure she needs us."

"She does." Padma agreed readily, "But she needs to be the one to realize that. She hasn't even spoken to me… And George keeps visiting her, but again, nothing. It's not just you and Draco that she's freezing out."

"She looks so unhappy Padma, and it's killing me." He admitted in a low, hoarse voice, "She hasn't been playing Quidditch, I doubt she's really been outside. She's like a ghost, and that is not Ginny."

"I know. I'm worried, Blaise, I really am." She sat back, and curled her legs under her, pulling the robe over her knees, "But I'm also weary about saying, or doing the wrong thing, and pushing her farther away. I think that she needs more time."

"It's been over a month." He reminded her, looking over at her quickly, before looking away again.

"I know…" She sighed heavily, "I can't empathize with what she's going through though. You and Draco can, to a certain degree, but I've noticed even before this that she pulls in on herself when she's upset."

"Yeah, I know." Blaise ran a hand through his too-long hair, resolving again to cut it when possible. "I'm hurting, Draco's hurting, Ginny's hurting… it shouldn't be like this. It shouldn't hurt."

"It does sometimes though." Padma watched him intently, looking from him to the fire, and back, "From what I understand, life is not easy. It's the hard stuff that makes everything else seem so incredible."

"I knew you'd say something profound like that." He flashed a small grin at her, "I just… I want Ginny back. I want her to smile, to laugh, to seek Draco and I out, to talk to us, to spend evenings in my room chatting and doing schoolwork… and other things. I want normal."

"Who doesn't?" Padma asked, rhetorically, "Give it some more time… I'll talk to George and see what he thinks. I'll try to talk to her too. Maybe we should all be making a plan, get organized."

"Like a military campaign?"

"Something like that."

"So, tell me why the little nighty?" He leaned back to grin determinedly at her, "Big night?"

"Yes, well, it seems like you've effectively killed that for the evening." She replied, glancing down at her robe.

"Sorry about that."

"Well, don't do it again."

"I don't plan to."

They sat in silence, both contemplating the fire and life. This was the scene that George interrupted, stepping through the fire almost ten minutes later, "Hey Padma, sorry I'm la…. Blaise. Hi."

"Hey George."

"Any particular reason you're sitting in my girlfriend's bedroom?" He blinked at said girlfriend in bewilderment, "And what are you wearing Padma?"

"Clothing!" She glared at him, at the same time Blaise stood up with a smirk, "I just needed to talk to her, George. I'll see you later." He waved over his shoulder as he stepped into the fireplace.

George threw himself into the newly vacated chair, and stared at Padma, "What was that all about?"

"Ah, he wanted advice on Ginny."

"Makes sense…"

Padma was more determined than ever to change the subject to something that she had more control over. She glanced down at the robe again, fingering the sash with nervous fingers.

George was mildly startled by the sound of the robe hitting the ground, and looked up to see Padma wearing… well, not very much. His throat seized up as he took in how the light silky material barely hid her full breasts from his view, emphasizing her small waist, and the curve of her hips. He knew that she had lovely legs… but it was nice to be reminded yet again.

Gaining confidence from the look in George's eyes, Padma walked toward him slowly. "So, I had some plans for this evening." She mentioned conversationally.

"Uh huh…" His mouth dry, he couldn't fully concentrate on what she was saying as he watched the incredible things walking did to that little scrap of silk.

Padma smirked, and hiked up the already little skirt slightly, almost laughing at the sound of George's indrawn breath, and placed her knee up beside his legs on the chair. Holding onto the arm rests, she straddled him fully.

"See, now this was more along the lines of my plans for tonight." She spoke with that same conversational tone, well aware that George's attention was now totally focused on her lips.

Taking a hold of both of his larger hands, she placed them on her thighs. He flexed his fingers slightly, feeling the fabric, and warm skin beneath, and groaned out loud. "You're killing me."

"I hope so." She tugged on the leather thong holding his hair back, and threw it over her shoulder.

He watched it go, "You just threw it into the fire."

"I'm sorry, I'm sitting on your lap wearing very little, in my bedroom, intent on seducing you, and you're mourning the loss of your hair tie?"

"Good point." He leaned forward to capture her lips, one of his hands sliding up to cover her lower back, and pulling her into agonizingly close contact.

Padma moaned into his mouth, her hands finding the back of his neck to make sure he couldn't pull away, or anything silly like that. George obliged her happily, his other hand rubbing her thigh slightly, providing delicious friction between the silk and her skin.

As George explored her mouth thoroughly, Padma's hands attacked the front of his robes eagerly, undoing buttons so quickly there was some fear that they would pop right off. He curved his arm more fully around her, pressing his palm between her shoulder blades, the closeness making Padma's task even more difficult.

She paused as he grasped her full lower lip between his teeth, and pulled it gently into his mouth, sucking lightly and causing such incredible sensations to go through her. His fingers threaded into her hair, cupping her head, and tilting it for even greater access.

Padma's frantic fingers found his collar, and tugged it open, running her hands on the pale freckled skin that the fabric had hid. She quickly pulled the shirt from his slacks, tracing the lean muscles of his chest.

Pulling back from George, Padma's glare was at odds with her swollen red lips, "Are you going to touch me at all, or do I have to do everything?"

He chuckled lightly, his hands obligingly finding her waist, and moving up slowly to cup her breasts, smiling as her nipples immediately pebbled under his palms. She sighed, and arched her back as he rolled the tight buds between his fingers.

Padma shifted her hips impatiently, feeling such an incredible ache there, hearing George's answering groan and the stiffness that rested against her thigh. There was way too many layers of clothing between them.

With that in mind, George lifted Padma off, and stood up, his lips barely leaving hers, nibbling the sides of her lips and tasting her. She backed up to her bed, pulling him with her, until her knees hit the edge of her mattress.

Pushing her onto the soft bed, George waited long moments just to pull of his clothing, his eyes never leaving her form, taking in how she made her way to the middle of the bed, and lay waiting for him.

Her nighty flirted tantalizingly with the tops of her thighs, just high enough that he could see she really didn't wear anything underneath.

George immediately covered her with his larger body, her curves hitting her in all the right places, feeling perfect against him. His lips found the side of her neck, sucking urgently on the sensitive pulse point just below her ear that he knew drove her wild.

Padma moved against him, writhing in a way that made him lose his concentration completely, until he caught her hands above her head and held them there, not allowing her to move against him. She moaned, trying desperately to break away, but he held firm, allowing his mouth and lips to feast on her neck and shoulders, leaving marks that he really couldn't bring himself to care about.

He held onto her wrists with one hand, and slid his other hand up her thigh, and under the little skirt, stroking the wetness that he found there.

Padma could barely breath, she hadn't imagined the assault on her senses that George seemed to revel in. His fingers were moving against her, causing her hips to arch off the bed, wanting more.

Nudging the straps of her nighty aside, he followed the fall of the fabric to explore her clavicle, his hand tracing a circle around her nipple. It took a few more moments for Padma to realize that he was no longer holding her arms, and she then threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him close as his lips followed his fingers to her breasts, suckling gently on the rosy tips.

Padma was moaning, and bucking against him uncontrollably as he inserted one finger in her. His thumb played with her clit gently as he felt her clench around his finger.

Reaching out, she grabbed her wand from the bedside table, and quickly cast a contraception spell, almost out of her mind from what George was doing to her. Padma then pulled his head back to hers. Moving her hips slightly, she wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him close.

"I want you." She whispered into his ear as she moved against him. George groaned, and rested his forehead against hers, staring at her as he moved into position. "Are you sure?"

He hovered just above her, the tip of his hardness just touching her, and she bucked her hips up so violently, that his head sank into her. Groaning again, he slowly pushed inside, feeling the incredible tightness and warmth, his body straining to keep himself under control.

Feeling muscles stretching that had never been used, Padma stared into George's eyes as she felt him slowly break through the barrier, a sharp burst of pain making her cry out momentarily, and he paused to kiss her again before continuing.

"I love you." He whispered huskily as her completely joined their two bodies together. Padma moaned in response as he started to move. It was uncomfortable at first, but it was feeling better and better. Her hips were moving against his, creating delicious friction between their two bodies.

"I love you." He repeated over and over again into her ear. She could only nod in response as she held on.

Author's Note: Ah, there was something about writing that between George and Padma that really threw me… first, I haven't written smut in awhile (so sorry about that, I will try to remedy that soon…) and I don't know, I don't think I've really written anything that detailed except for Ginny/Draco/Blaise. I hope you enjoyed though!

I put that conversation in between Padma and Blaise for a reason, so try not to flame me about how Ginny's acting…. There will definitely be a lot of Blaise and Draco (who I realize did not appear once in this chapter) in the next chapter.

There is still a lot to go in this story. I do have it all planned out, and very few things have changed since I wrote that summary during writing "Complicate You". I list the major plot points, and right now, there are 41 for "Catch You", and I am only up to number 12.

Thank you again for reading, and hopefully reviewing to tell me what you think.

HHHHhhH


	8. Chapter 8

WARNING: Adult situations… sexual content and so on.

Chapter 8:

Draco was angry. An angry Draco had been known to be almost as bad as a bored Draco, but just a touch more frightening. Ginny had pushed him and Blaise away for the last time.

He waited for her to come trudging past his hiding spot in an alcove off the main hall, silent and still and seething over the fact that Malfoys did not hide. Yes, they snuck about, but that was an entirely different matter altogether.

Spotting Ginny's unmistakable mane of red hair, Draco tensed, grabbing her arm as she walked past, and pulling her into his chest as he muttered a silencing and concealing spell.

"What?!" Ginny spun, off-balance, out of Draco's arms and almost hit the wall before he caught her again. Struggling against his larger form out of panic, she had her fingers curled into claws before she registered who her 'attacker' was.

"Draco?" She squinted her bright blue eyes against the darkness of the space, trying to make out his strong, aristocratic features framed by the shock of his silvery-blonde hair.

"Oh, so you do remember my name. How lovely, no need for small talk." His drawl was more than distinctive, and she winced at the hard edge in his voice, an edge that she had not heard since before her sixth year.

"What do you want?" She asked wearily, feeling her way along the wall, a sense of panic setting in as she couldn't figure out how to get out of the small space.

Draco folded his arms across his chest, and braced his shoulder against a stone wall, a haughty look on his face. His silver eyes never left her small face, glowing white in the darkness, "What do I want? Oh, where to begin."

He shoved himself away from the wall, and moved closer to her, her eyes taking in his graceful movements, while attempting to back away. That attempt was slightly hindered by the wall at her back, and she hit it with a soft "Ooff."

Placing each of his hands on the wall beside her head, Draco leaned down so that they were face to face, "I want… the newest Firebolt. I want Harry 'boy-who-gives-me-heartburn-with-his-very-existence' Potter to disappear permanently. I want my mother's chocolates."

His voice fairly dripped with sarcasm, his eyes glinting in the darkness like ice.

"Draco…" She spoke hesitantly, feeling so out-of-sorts and awkward, her mouth dry, "Draco, let me go."

"Oh, I don't think so, Red." She recoiled slightly at the sound of the once-tender nickname that was spat at her, "We need to have a few more words."

"I don't have anything to say!"

"Well, I do, so that works out rather well." He leaned even closer, and she shrank back, frantically looking for an exit. "Now, where was I? Ah, what do I want…"

"I want Blaise to be happy. I want Blaise. I want to not be on the Dark Lord's side, though the idea of being on the Order's side is no better. And I want you… rather, I wanted you."

Ginny stared at him, amazed to hear Draco speaking so honestly, despite the anger behind his words, hurt at his last sentence.

"I _wanted_ you." He reiterated, "I wanted you when you were the feisty redhead that I met in Diagon Alley that was able to take on Blaise and me, and not take any bullshit. You are no longer that person. You're a shell."

Ginny flinched as he spoke, hearing the truth, and yet hating him for it. Hating him for not understanding…

"You don't understand!" She spoke quietly, intensely, "You can't understand."

"I don't understand?" He arched a pale eyebrow at her, his eyelids swooping down to half-mast, concealing what he was thinking, and giving him an oddly sensual appeal, "At what point was I not there? I was there when you got pregnant. I was there when you went through having McGonagall lecture you. I was there when Blaise refused to consider a certain option that I understand you were fully considering. I was there when you were in the hospital wing, I was there when you lost the baby."

"That's not the same." Ginny's cheeks flushed with heat as she glared up at Draco, hating the tears that she could feel gathering in the corners of her eyes, feeling like she was showing far too much vulnerability in the face of Draco's uncaring.

"Oh, so because it was not my body, I have no idea? Do you think of me that cold? I love you. I would have loved the baby. Blaise loves you, as well as the baby. We had just as much to do with it's inception as you."

Ginny brought her hands up to cover her face, now crying steadily. Draco's voice was low and urgent, and he would not let her get away. He pried her hands away, his eyes again catching her own gaze, uncaring at the tracks of moisture running down each cheek.

"This is the last time that I am going to seek you out, Weasley." He pronounced coolly, staring down at her intently, "The next move is yours to make, but make it soon. I do not make it a habit of waiting."

With that, he turned in a swirl of black robes, and held up his wand with a clear "_Finite Incantatum_."

Ginny sank down to her knees, feeling numb from the exchange. Gasping for air, she wrapped her arms around herself, rocking. It hurt… it hurt so much… and she was tired of hurting. So tired.

The first couple of tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes with what looked to be painful effort, but then it was as if she had opened the flood gate. Ginny sobbed, truly sobbed, for all that she had lost, all that she had thrown away, her fingers frantic against her own face, trying to wipe away the trails, trying to stop.

"No…" She shook her head, "nonononono…" The tears continued, soaking through her fingers, trailing down her neck.

Ginny remained in the alcove until her tears turned painful, the wet drying into her skin, her eyes hurting to even the slight light. She hiccupped, trying to get herself under control, slowly realizing the cold from the stone floor seeping into her skin uncomfortably through her uniform and robe.

She felt like a fool, sitting here, in a cold alcove, crying her heart out. It was time to get her life in order.

--

Luna whistled as she skipped down the long hallway to the astronomy tower, looking forward to having Theo to herself for the first time in weeks. Having a secret relationship was not exactly to her liking, but it hadn't been her decision really.

Yelping as she was suddenly pulled back against a warm male body, Luna turned to face him as he lifted the silky invisibility cloak over her with a seductive smile.

"How long have you been following me?" She asked conversationally, wrapping her arms around his waist, and reaching up to kiss his jaw.

"Since around the nargle-proofing of the Ravenclaw table. You really are one barmy bird." He answered, his fingers moving with to ease her tie out of the way and unbutton her white blouse, anxious for the feel of her smooth skin.

Luna shivered as he stroked her almost reverently, his fingers light on her hot skin. "I'm the barmy one? You're the one who follows me around in an invisibility cloak for kicks."

"Oh, and what kicks they are." His eyes found hers, glinting with mischief as he lowered himself carefully to his knees, being careful to not catch the cloak and pull it off.

"Nott… What are you doing?" Luna's voice sharpened as he reached up her skirt, pulling down the silky knickers that he found there.

"I'm taking your pants off." He shoved them into his pocket, and ducked his head under the plaid material that still hid her. Breathing in the smell of aroused female, Theo nudged her legs apart, settling comfortably between them.

Luna stared up, seeing the shadowy recesses of the ceiling through the sheer cloak, and resolutely thought of England. That lasted until Theo used his teeth to great success.

Plunging his index finger into her wet depths, Theo grinned as she gasped above him, her hands finding the top of his head through her skirt and holding on tightly. He latched on to the sensitive nub at the top of her slit, alternating between licking her with the flat of his tongue, and rubbing with the tip of it, driving her wild.

Luna clamped one of her hands to her mouth, spotting students passing by the entrance of the secluded hallway in the distance, and determined to not make a sound.

Feeling the wetness that was now flooding his mouth and coating his hands, plus her shaking, slender thighs, Theo added another finger to join the first, and rubbed his teeth along her clit, determined to make her scream. Her inner walls were starting to pulse against his invading digits, and he reluctantly pulled away, standing up to stare down at her highly flushed face once again.

"Enjoy?" Arching a dark eyebrow at her, he smirked as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and delicately wiped at his mouth and chin, her juices having completely covered his skin.

Luna stared at him in disbelief, quivering in unfulfilled lust, quite speechless. Her hand, which had fallen to her side as he had stood, seemed to move with a will of it's own to pull her skirt up, and dive under to try to relieve the ache that Theo had left.

Moving quickly, he grabbed her wrist, grinning as he heard her cry out in anger at his actions as he pulled her hand to rest on his chest before capturing the other one. "Naughty Luna…"

"Theo." Her voice was a warning, full of anger, frustration, and tension, and if possible, his grin simply widened further.

"Yes, my sweet?" His look of exaggerated innocence did not go unnoticed, even in Luna's current… delicate state.

She growled at him, before her hands found his zipper, sliding inside before he could stop her. Theo threw his head back, gasping as her slender, cool fingers wrapped themselves around his length, stroking firmly.

Again, he grabbed her hand, pulling it off of his skin, smirking at her again. "Not yet. Follow me."

She only registered that he was walking away about a moment before the invisibility cloak would have exposed her to the coolness of the hallway. Grasping the gaping sides of her shirt together over her chest, she grabbed hold of the back of his flowing robes, lengthening her stride to keep up with his faster pace.

So, maybe a secret relationship did have a few perks….

--

Something did not add up, and Blaise didn't know how to make the numbers do what he wanted. Zabini Incorporated had been the brainchild of his, admittedly, brilliant father. With Morley Zabini gone, however, the company was held in trust for Blaise, the heir, but his mother, the trustee, and she was rather reluctant to give up any semblance of control.

While Draco had been having classes for years in preparation for his role in Malfoy Enterprises at the instigation of his mother, Blaise had no knowledge of even what his father's company did. The report sitting in front of him was care of a former Slytherin who had graduated when he had been in second year.

Marius Anderson was now working in the accounting department as an intern at Zabini Incorporated, due to Blaise pulling what little rank he could. Because of this, Marius was now firmly in Blaise's corner, and was concerned at what he had seen in the profit and loss statement for the third quarter. So concerned, that he had owled over a package for Blaise to see.

Making a note to owl Marius to thank him for his underhanded sleuthing in the accounting department, Blaise leaned his head back against his headboard, and tried to figure out why he had such a bad feeling about what he had seen.

Zabini Incorporated's profits were done from what had been expected, but that wasn't too strange… Marius had also included a report on some new technology, and the testing results, and everything seemed very in order. Blaise couldn't figure out why that had been included, but he guessed it was important in some way.

He carefully put the papers back together, and placed them on the bedside table to decide what to do with later. Blaise's first instinct was always to talk to Draco, but he hesitated for the first time in well… ever.

Blaise always leant on Draco, and Draco could handle it, but still he hesitated. It was time to start taking responsibility for himself about the big stuff. And technically, Malfoy Enterprises was a competitor through many of the smaller firms that they owned to Zabini Incorporated.

No. It was time for Blaise to look elsewhere for his business advice, it was time to dissolve anything to do with business between them. From here on, it had to be strictly… pleasure… or there would be major problems in the future.

And then there was the problem of Ginny. What to do about their erstwhile redhead. He was fed up with her behavior at this point. She seemed to be doing everything possible to pretend that they had never met. Draco was quite possibly in an even worse mood over the whole thing.

The two Slytherins were not, by nature, patient. It was quite the stretch for them not to do anything. But Padma had given him good advice, and he would stick by it.

The door banged open, announcing his blonde lover's arrival with force. Draco certainly knew how to make an entrance on occasion.

He nodded a greeting to Blaise as he threw his robe over a chair, settling himself beside him on the large bed.

"What are you doing?" Draco murmured as he leaned up to kiss Blaise's jaw.

Nodding to the papers next to the bed, Blaise worked at releasing Draco's silvery hair from the leather thong that held it confined. "Work."

"You?" Draco arched his eyebrow at the other man, shifting his larger body to partially cover Blaise.

"It happens."

"Not often." They lay in silence for a long moment, before Draco offered, "Would you like any help?"

"I'll let you know." Blaise answered evasively.

Silence reigned once more, both males luxuriating in each other's presence and warmth in the dungeon room that still felt cool despite the fire raging in the corner.

"I went to see Ginny." Draco admitted in a low voice, shocking Blaise into sitting up to stare down at him, "You did?"

"Yes."

"How did it go?"

Draco shrugged noncommittally, preferring not to share the details of what had been said. Feeling Blaise's mind graze his own with the softest of touches, Draco threw up his guards quickly. Their eyes caught and held, Blaise curious, but knowing what would happen if he tried it again.

"Well, let me know…" Blaise closed his eyes, not wanting to see the familiar, yet currently blank silver-grey orbs at that moment. He lay back down, putting some distance between them.

Growling lightly under his breath, Draco lunged forward to capture Blaise's lips with his own, his tongue instantly seeking entrance between them. Blaise lay motionless, not resisting, but not helping Draco in his rough efforts.

Draco pulled away, staring down at Blaise, his fingers finding the front of Blaise's uniform, working on the green and silver tie that lay haphazardly at his neck, pulling it free from his collar.

Blaise looked up into Draco's eyes, searching, but not finding what he was looking for. Draco put his mouth to the side of Blaise's neck, finding the sensitive pale skin there and worrying it between his teeth. Sighing, Blaise anchored his fingers into Draco's light hair, holding him in place as he maneuvered his hand down to the catch on Draco's slacks.

Shifting his hips up to allow greater access, Draco trailed hot kisses across the strong muscles of Blaise's neck, sucking on the pulse point, and smiling as he could feel it speeding up.

Blaise groaned, and quickly shoved his hand into the opening he'd made, finding Draco hot and hard as he tumbled into his palm. Pulling away, Draco shimmied out of his slacks, pulling his shirt and tie over his head in one swift motion, before turning back to Blaise, who was now incredibly overdressed.

"Take it off." Draco ordered in a tight, husky voice. Blaise stretched like a cat, his smooth muscles sliding under olive skin as Draco watched him in appreciation.

Within moments, Draco had completely stripped his lover as well, and covered his skin with his own. They both sighed lightly as they slid against each other, hips grinding in an automatic movement to induce as much friction as possible.

Blaise closed his eyes for a moment, simply feeling the familiar, yet entirely exciting, feeling of Draco, before opening them with a mischievous look on his face. Quickly, he flipped them over, leaving Draco on his back in the middle of the bed.

Surprise flitted across Draco's face, before pleasure settled in as Blaise leaned forward to take his lips in a rough kiss, teeth pulling Draco's full lower lip into his mouth. Using a thigh, Blaise forced Draco's legs apart, giving him complete access to him.

Draco arched up into Blaise as he continued ravaging his mouth, excitement pulsing throughout his body at Blaise's uncharacteristic dominance. Turning his face to the side, Draco gulped down air, as Blaise's hands moved along his body, stroking him in all of the places he was most sensitive.

Blaise's mouth found its way to Draco's ear, and he lazily explored the whirls there, murmuring exactly what he wanted to do to Draco, causing him to shiver almost violently.

When Draco would have reached out to take control, Blaise sent a quick glance at the headboard, and Draco's hands were locked together, over his head, making the muscles in his chest and stomach stand out in stark relief against his pale skin.

Straddling Draco's lean waist, Blaise sat up, taking in his handiwork as Draco snarled. "Blaise…"

Completely ignoring his lover, Blaise continued his leisurely exploration of Draco's body, amazed at the beauty of the other man. His attention caught on Draco's pale pink nipples, and he attacked them with force, causing Draco to cry out in almost-pain.

Draco, unable to keep his eyes open, closed them, and shuddered again and again as Blaise moved his lips, tongue, teeth, and fingers over his body before settling at the organ between his legs.

Blaise took his time, never really having had Draco at his mercy to such a degree before. It was heady, the amount of power that he held at that moment.

Pushing Draco's legs even further apart, Blaise pushed his shoulder between to have complete and unencumbered access.

Moaning, losing all semblance of control faster than he had thought, Draco dared not look down at Blaise. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. And then Blaise pushed his boundaries even further with a firm swipe of his tongue after a muttered cleansing spell.

Blaise looked up to see Draco straining frantically against his bonds, the muscles in his arms quivering, and beads of sweat dotting his face to fall into his tangled silvery hair.

Smirking, he ran a single finger from the tip of the swollen head of Draco's cock, all the way down, tracing the raised veins with patience, to the heavy balls that were tight against his crotch, to his perineum. Draco cried out, his torso twisting at the exquisite feelings, before stilling as Blaise's hands left him altogether, feeling moisture coating his small pink hole thoroughly, before a long finger worked its way in, stretching Draco deliciously.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck…" Blaise smirked as he listened to Draco chanting, throwing his head back and forth, fighting the magic holding him in place.

Draco's back arched, bringing him almost off the bed as another finger was added, stretching him even further, before sliding in and out in a slow, long rhythm. Blaise brought his head down, taking Draco's cock in his mouth in one slow slide just as his fingers found that incredible spot inside of him, and Draco shuddered violently at the familiar tightening at the base of his spine.

Sensing that Draco was close, Blaise pulled back completely, ignoring Draco's angry cries, and took himself in hand to coat liberally with lubrication. He stroked himself for long moments as Draco breathed heavily, cursing him out, while coming back from the brink.

Hooking one of Draco's long legs over his shoulder, Blaise placed himself at the small, slightly stretched, opening, and steadily applied pressure.

They had rarely done this, with Draco being the major dominant in their relationship, and he breathed heavily, feeling the pain that would recede soon enough.

As Blaise bottomed out, he stilled, feeling Draco's tight heat surrounding him as he breathed heavily. He leaned forward, stretching the pale, muscled body underneath him further as his lips found Draco's in a tender kiss, at odds with his body's actions.

He started moving as Draco's mouth opened, allowing him entrance on a sigh, their lips brushing against each other again and again until Blaise's impulses dictated that he needed to speed up. Gripping Draco's hips hard enough to leave bruises, Blaise sped up, moaning as he heard the sound of his skin slapping against Draco's.

Draco came almost violently, having been denied for such a period, his cock untouched as the pleasure swirled through the pain. This proved to be too much for Blaise, and he thrust once more deeply before shooting inside of Draco.

Collapsing to the side of his lover, Blaise waved a hand at the invisible bonds, allowing Draco to pull his stiff arms back down. He rubbed his hands over his shoulders, working the feeling back in as he watched Blaise gasp for breath, his chest rising and falling, in almost the same rhythm as his own.

"Merlin…" Blaire murmured as his eyes shut, "we should definitely do that more often when avoiding a discussion."

Draco frowned at this, swinging his legs over the side of the bed when he felt he had calmed down enough. Feeling weak, he made his way to the bathroom, ignoring Blaise's questioning look.

Blaise smirked. It would take Draco awhile to get over the feeling of someone else having the power for once.

Staring at his reflection in the large mirror, Draco contemplated what had just happened. Blaise had definitely taken things to a different level, but it was too soon to really see what would happen there. He flexed the muscles in his legs, feeling them quivering in remembered pleasure.

A/N: Hi All, and thank you so much for sticking with this story. I know I have been terribly remiss in updating, so I hope you will all forgive me for that. I am quite possibly the worst writer for responding to reviews and questions, so please look to my Author's Notes for this info.

A huge thank you to JulieMalfoyZabini (who is awesome, and you all should check out her stories) for betaing this for me….  She did a great job, and I was very impressed. She even managed to ignore my whining on yahoo, which is not the easiest thing in the world. So again, thank you very much.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'm still alive! this is basically part of chapter 9 that's been floating around my computer for awhile. I hope to have the rest of the chapter up in a couple of weeks, when school ends, but I just wanted to give something to those of you who are fans of this series. Thank you so much for supporting me, despite my lack of updating!!

Chapter 9:

Ginny took a deep breath as she came to a stop outside of the large doorway. She knew she needed to do this, but it felt so strange after all of this time. It felt so strange to be reaching out to anyone. She turned sideways, thinking about leaving, before she steeled herself. You can do this, she told herself savagely, they didn't put you in Gryffindor on a whim.

Resolutely, she raised her hand, and firmly knocked on the wooden surface, half hoping for no answer to her summons.

"Can I help-" Padma gasped, seeing who was standing in front of her, "Ginny."

"Hi." Ginny smiled hesitantly, not quite sure of the reception that she was about to receive from her greatest friend. She smoothed a hand over her hair self-consciously as Padma continued to look at her incredulously.

"Ginny." Padma repeated, before blinking, "Come in…"

Ginny sat down on one of Padma's armchairs, tucking her legs under herself in a familiar sort of way that was unhindered by the tension in the air. She stared at the fire for a moment, thankful for its warmth, before her bright eyes sought Padma's in the semi-darkness. She took in the white nightgown silently for a moment, before speaking, "I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

"Not a worry." Padma breathed, seating herself opposite, really taking in Ginny's appearance. She definitely looked different… as if she had been ill for quite some time, but not.

Ginny's skin was almost unnaturally pale and smooth from a lack of sunlight, but she had gained enough weight to have lost her athletic, coltish frame. Her hair was also the darkest Padma had ever seen it, again from lack of sun, but it seemed to suit her. She could now be termed quite voluptuous, and it was strange to see her in that light.

"I…" Ginny looked off into the distance for a moment before refocusing on the Ravenclaw, "I needed to talk to someone…"

Padma felt warmth unfurling through her at the quiet statement, and schooled her features into an expressionless mask, "Oh?"

Lacing her fingers together on her lap, Ginny took a deep breath. She had not expected Padma to make this incredibly easy for her, "I'm sorry."

They stared at each other for a long moment, the only sound in the room the crackling fire in the grate.

"I'm sorry." Ginny carried on, as if there had been no pause, "I cut you out when I… when everything happened, and I shouldn't have."

Padma nodded in silent agreement, watching Ginny's pale face intently.

"I didn't deal with this right." Ginny completed, moving her gaze down to stare at her fingers.

"Damn right." Padma spoke, three months of sadness and anger behind her words evaporating even as she spoke. "We're friends. Not just for the good stuff. The bad stuff is just as important."

"I know that." Ginny looked over at her, blue eyes flashing for the first time since she had stepped into the room. Padma watched her, her features not betraying anything of her feelings.

"You do?" She arched a dark eyebrow skeptically.

"I do." Ginny's eyes narrowed, before she composed herself once more, "Look, I know I was wrong. And I'm apologizing."

"What about George?" Padma pushed further, "What about Blaise? What about Draco?"

Ginny stared at her, her face drawn as if in stone, "I'm going to apologize to them as well."

"Do you realize why you're apologizing?" Padma's voice was quiet enough that Ginny had to sit forward slightly to hear her.

"For being so withdrawn."

"Not only that." Padma crossed her legs, and sat back, "For acting like you were the only one in pain."

"It was my baby!"

"Not just yours…"

Silence reigned again as Ginny got control over her temper. She knew Padma had a point, but she didn't like the feeling of her rubbing her mistakes in her face. Taking a deep breath, she continued grimly.

"I need to know whether I've got your forgiveness."

Padma sat silently for a long moment, considering the question carefully, "I understand your reasons, but I don't know if I forgive you yet. I don't know how long it will take me to forgive how you treated all of us, not just Draco and Blaise."

Ginny's chin wobbled, almost imperceptibly, "There's no hope?"

Padma leaned forward, lacing her fingers in Ginny's, "I did not say that. I simply mean that our trust has been shaken by you being unable to see beyond yourself, and it will take some time to fully repair that.

You also need some time to forgive yourself. None of this was your fault, and you should not feel guilty that you were exploring your options before. That did not have an impact on what happened."

Ginny nodded, her head bowing forward. Hearing Padma stand, she looked up wearily to see her take the seat beside her. Padma's arms were hesitant, but somehow, Ginny found herself enfolded against her friend.

Murmuring words of comfort in a foreign tongue, Padma rocked Ginny gently, as her mother had often done to her as a child.

Ginny, for the second time in a few days, felt tears trickling down her cheeks. This time, though, it wasn't painful. She felt safe, and she felt comforted, despite Padma's words.


End file.
